We devote our entire program to the Wire Act lawsuit against the US Department of Justice! Oral arguments have begun in the case, and the future of online gambling in America could be at stake. The DOJ contends that the Federal Wire Act applies to all forms of gambling, while New Hampshire and fourteen additional states disagree. This week’s special offer is for Heavy Chips casino. Hello friends and thanks so much for joining me on This Week in Gambling. We have a lot to discuss on our program today. In fact we’re dedicating the entire show to what’s happening…

The Department of Justice has claimed that its revised stance on the 1961 Wire Act did not address the legality of interstate and online lotteries, with a review into the matter ongoing. The claim, supported by a memo from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, suggests that the DoJ is still examining whether state lottery operations should fall under the Wire Act’s jurisdiction. As a result, the Department claims that there are no grounds for a legal challenge, which should therefore be dismissed. Rostenstein’s memo states that Department of Justice attorneys should refrain from enforcing the revised Wire Act stance, which…

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…

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,…

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…

The Department of Justice will extend the Wire Act grace period in relation to the agency’s change of opinion on the Wire Act, giving an extra 60 days before their backward decision to pacify Sheldon Adelson goes into effect. How “nice” of them. The original 90-day window was set to expire April 15. The DOJ is expected to announce this extension next week, which will push the expiration date to June 14, 2019. The move comes as a legal challenge to the new Wire Act opinion is starting to move through the process in the First Circuit, perceived as one…