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US Justice Department Argues Wire Act Case Before First Circuit Court Of Appeals
The United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit heard arguments today on the scope of the federal Wire Act. The case, formally New Hampshire Lottery Commission, et al v. Barr, et al, pits the US Department of Justice against the cooperative expansion of state-regulated gambling. An opinion penned by the department’s Office of […]
PokerStars Founder Isai Scheinberg Surrenders To Feds In New York
Prosecutors in New York finally have their hands on Isai Scheinberg. As Forbes first reported, the founder of PokerStars surrendered to federal authorities upon entering the country from Switzerland a week ago Friday. Scheinberg, 73, stands charged with a number of gambling and financial crimes including money laundering and bank fraud. The defendant pleaded not guilty in […]
Federal Judge To DOJ: Wire Act Only Applies To Sports Betting
New Hampshire has won its lawsuit against the US Department of Justice clarifying the scope of a 1961 federal gambling law. In a 60-page ruling issued Monday, US District Court Judge Paul Barbadoro rejected a 2018 opinion from the Office of Legal Counsel which expanded the Wire Act to broadly cover interstate online gambling. The previous interpretation from 2011 applies narrowly […]
Arguments In Wire Act Lawsuit Begin In New Hampshire Federal Court — Live Updates
CONCORD, N.H. — On Thursday morning, a federal judge in New Hampshire will hear arguments in the legal challenge to the new Wire Act opinion issued in January by the US Department of Justice. The NH Lottery Commission brought the first action against that opinion, seeking to protect its online ticket sales and its ambitions for regulated […]
Acting AG Whitaker Defends Wire Act Opinion, Denies Adelson Influence Before Congress
Acting US Attorney General Matthew Whitaker on Friday testified that he had no involvement in the recent Wire Act opinion that emerged from the Department of Justice. The nation’s top legal official delivered his statements during a contentious oversight hearing before the House Judiciary Committee, responding to contribution questions from Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.). Whitaker […]
New Hampshire Lottery Sues DOJ Over Wire Act Opinion
In his first day on the job, US Attorney General William Barr is facing a federal lawsuit listing his name as the defendant. The New Hampshire Lottery Commission has brought a civil suit against Barr and the US Department of Justice, seeking an injunction on the new Wire Act opinion. The agency lodged its complaint on […]
Amendment 3 Puts Future Of Florida Gambling On Midterm Ballot
Midterm elections are upon the US, and gaming and gambling issues will appear on the ballot in a few states. Arkansas is making a move toward legal sports betting under a proposed referendum which survived a last-minute legal challenge. Voters will decide the fate of the ever-expanding industry as it relates to them via a […]
WSOP.com Multistate Poker Goes Live Across New Jersey And Nevada
Earlier this month, WSOP and 888 Poker announced plans to combine their clients into a unified, three-state network. Thanks to a pact known as the Multi-State Internet Gaming Association, operators in New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware are now permitted to share liquidity across state lines. At the time of the announcement, interstate platforms were pending final approval and tentatively […]
Key Senator’s Retirement Creates Urgency For NY Online Poker Legislation
The timeline for legalizing online poker, like New York online casino efforts, New York has seemingly gotten a little tighter. Sen. John Bonacic has announced that he won’t seek re-election this fall, ending his tenure of two decades in the NY Senate. Bonacic’s name has appeared many times in these pages as a champion for gaming and […]
Nevada Congresswoman To DOJ: Don’t Use Wire Act To Stop Online Gambling
US Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nev.) is urging the Department of Justice to maintain a narrow interpretation of the Wire Act. Titus penned a letter to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein today, reiterating that the federal law applies only to sports betting. Congress enacted the law in 1961 as a tool to combat illegal bookmaking operations typical of organized […]