In an effort to gain some clarity, IGT sues Justice Department over their refusal to commit on the Federal Wire Act. And yes, this feels like a never ending story.  Really, this is a good thing for our industry. Since the Department of Justice was shot down by a Federal Judge over their Wire Act opinion (and again on appeal) they have been very quiet. In fact, the DOJ has said nothing since their defeat. And that’s where the new lawsuit comes in. Since the online gambling business seems to be taking off in the United States (finally), and since…

In a case that has enormous implications for online gambling in America, the US Department of Justice lost their Wire Act appeal against the New Hampshire Lottery Commission. The First Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of New Hampshire, upholding the decision of a lower court and driving a nail in the Justice Department newest interpretation of the law. That interpretation could have criminalized interstate online poker and threatened the new, US online gambling industry altogether. Whereas many have insisted that the 1961 Federal Wire Act was always intended to apply to sports betting, the DOJ chose to broaden…

Months after losing in Federal Court, the US Justice Department will have their online gambling appeal heard. The fight over whether the Wire Act applies to Internet betting or only sports betting is on the line! Also, more Las Vegas casinos announce their openings and we have a new game review!   A federal appellate court will hear arguments later this month on the case between the New Hampshire Lottery Commission and the Justice Department over the interpretation of the Wire Act which could decide the fate of online gambling in America. Last week, the First Circuit Court of Appeals…

The Justice Department has been using every trick in the book to try to shut down online gambling in America. And now that the Coronavirus has created a national lock down, they apparently want to take full advantage. The DOJ very quietly asked Congress for the ability to ask chief judges so that they can to detain people indefinitely without trial during emergencies such as a pandemic. Just as disturbing, they are asking to lawmakers about things like the statute of limitations, asylum and the way court hearings are conducted. The website POLITICO originally reported this, and reviewed documents where…

New Jersey Sues Justice Department – The State of New Jersey has joined New Hampshire as one of the states to sue the Justice Department over their recent reversal of opinion on the Federal Wire Act. New Jersey had demanded documentation related to their revised interpretation of the act, and the DOJ failed to respond. The Department of Justice reversed its 2011 Wire Act this past January, ruling the law’s prohibition applies to all forms of gambling and not just sports betting. New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal and his Pennsylvania counterpart Josh Shapiro hit out at the decision, demanding…

In another supplemental filing offered by the DOJ and the US Attorney’s Office in the lawsuit brought by New Hampshire Lottery and entities, the Justice Department Wire Act opinion evades the question of whether the re-re-interpreted law applies to those lotteries. In the most recent filing, submitted on April 25, DOJ attorneys again try to have it both ways. In response to New Hampshire’s most recent filing regarding the reach of the term “whoever”, which is an important legal point within the 1961 act, the DOJ continues to dispute New Hampshire’s assertions and motion for summary judgment. Instead, the DOJ…