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…

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 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…

The US Justice Department Sued over Wire Act Opinion by  iDEA Growth Trade Group An online gaming association known as iDEA Growth has become the latest organization to legally challenge to the Department of Justice about their revised opinion on the Federal Wire Act. In January, the revised opinion was issued following a request from the DOJ’s Criminal Division to reconsider the 2011 opinion on the Wire Act. That ruling had paved the way for the roll-out of online gambling in a number of US states. Under the revised opinion, the Wire Act would prohibit all forms of gambling, and…