Tag: department of justice
DOJ Fails to Get Wire Act Lawsuit Thrown Out
The road on the Wire Act lawsuit began on Thursday, as arguments were heard regarding the Department of Justice opinion on the Wire Act. In what came as a surprise to no one, the DOJ tried unsuccessfully to have the lawsuit dismissed during arguments. Most experts saw this coming after a memo issued earlier in the week by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. He tried to put the kibosh on the New Hampshire Lottery lawsuit by stating the new opinion of the Wire Act did not include state lotteries. Judge Paul Barbadoro, who was overseeing Thursday’s arguments, did not agree…
Justice Department Wants Wire Act Lawsuit Tossed
The US Justice Department has filed a motion to dismiss the Wire Act lawsuit brought against it on behalf of the New Hampshire Lottery and NeoPollard Interactive. The filing, written by Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate and John Tyler, Assistant Director of the Federal Programs Branch, argues that the District Court of New Hampshire should dismiss the case, on the basis that there is no actual case to answer. It says that there have been no prosecutions as a result of the revised stance, and that to date states have not been blocked from carrying out any activity. This,…
DOJ Online Gambling Lawsuit Expands
The outrage following the DOJ online gambling reversal on the Wire Act was swift and wide-reaching. Many wondered how it would be possible for the top law enforcement department in the country to suddenly decide to change course on a topic so sensitive, coincidentally after sports gambling became legal across the U.S. The immediate reaction, which was based on certain assumptions and intuitive deductions, was that someone in the gambling industry—perhaps someone like outspoken online gambling opponent Sheldon Adelson—forced the DOJ to reverse its stance. New Hampshire, through the New Hampshire Lottery, has already announced that it is suing “the…
DOJ Wire Act Opinion “Corrupt and Unethical”
It’s been several weeks since the DOJ Wire Act opinion changed and threatened online gambling, poker and sports betting. Suspicion was that casino mogul (and Republican mega-donor) Sheldon Adelson had a lot to do with the Justice Department decision… and now we know for sure! Plus, now that the connections between Adelson and the DOJ have come to light, state Attorney Generals from New Jersey and Pennsylvania are starting to take action. As the gaming and legal worlds have had time to absorb the new opinion on the Wire Act issued by the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel…
Justice Department: Online Gambling Illegal Under Wire Act
Is online gambling illegal in America now? The U.S. Department of Justice has done an a bout-face on their opinion on the 1961 Federal Wire Act. Their decision was in no small part a result of the millions of dollars in donations to certain congressmen from Sheldon Adelson, the billionaire owner of the largest gambling company in America, Sands Corporation. Reversing their decision from 2011, the DOJ now states that the 50 year old legislation makes all online gambling illegal, including casino games and poker. Their plan is to begin enforcing their new interpretation of the law within 90 days….
New Year’s Online Gambling Ban
The new year has brought America yet another attempt to ban online gambling in the country. Four US Congressmen have sent a letter to Rod Rosenstein, Deputy Attorney General at the Department of Justice. They are again asking for a reversal of the DOJ’s opinion that the 1961 Federal Wire Act does not apply to online gambling. This week’s special comes from PokerStars Casino.
