Players in the Empire State will be stuck traveling to casinos upstate if they want to bet on sports as Senator Addabbo’s mobile gambling bill failed to pass the New York Assembly. The Senator tweeted that he saw no clear reason why the state could not implement mobile sports betting in 2019. The prospects of the bill passing in the Assembly were always seen as slim, with the Speaker of the chamber Carl Heastie of the opinion that a constitutional amendment was necessary to allow mobile betting. “NY will be stuck like a disabled car on the shoulder, while we…

The US Department of Justice lost their court case against the state of New Hampshire over the the Wire Act. However, they are still moving forward with plans to enforce their interpretation of the online gambling Wire Act interpretation. Meanwhile, New Hampshire has passed a sports betting bill which contains some interesting language that could disrupt enforcement of the Wire Act even further. Hello friends, and welcome to This Week in Gambling. I’m J Todd. You know, every now and again something happens in our industry that is quite surreal. And when it does I get to report it! Which…

A congressional amendment has been put forth that would threaten any online gambling Wire Act enforcement by the U.S. Department of Justice. The proposed amendment would attach to a federal bill that determines funding for the DOJ, and would block any funds from being used to enforce its revised opinion on the 1961 Federal Wire Act. Should the amendment be accepted, the Justice Department will not be permitted to use any money to enforce the opinion of their Office of Legal Counsel’s belief that the Wire Act applies to all forms of gambling and not just sports betting. The amendment…

Lawmakers have given the green light to Maine sports betting legislation. The state Senate voted 19-15 while the House approved the bill unanimously which would allow residents over the age of 21 bet on professional and college sports competitions. Bets could be placed either at physical locations – such as existing casinos or off-track betting parlors – or online via the mobile apps that account for the majority of sports gambling nationwide. The bill faces additional procedural votes in both the House and Senate. But if the measure is enacted into law, Maine would join roughly a dozen states that…

The New York mobile sports betting bill has been one of the longest-debating in New York state. But after a decisive vote in the Senate on June 17, the bill now heads to the state Assembly. This bill was introduced at the beginning of 2019, around the same time the latest DOJ Opinion on the Wire Act dropped. His latest push has been awarded with success, although the senator had to collaborate with Democratic senators to tweak the bill in a way that would make it acceptable. With this new progress emboldening proponents of spots betting in the Empire State,…

The long wait for Pennsylvania Internet Gambling is almost over. But could the industry be doomed before it ever launches? When Pennsylvania passed its gambling expansion bill in 2017, the sky was the limit to its potential. As one of the most populous states in America, Pennsylvania was suddenly the largest state with legalized sports betting as well as online casinos and poker. With such hype, however, comes ample responsibility. Responsibility not to embrace the industry, not to succeed, but simply to get it right. The state  has faced a steep hill to climb. Lawmakers instituted outrageous tax rates and…