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…

It’s been several weeks since the DOJ Wire Act opinion changed and threatened online gambling, poker and sports betting. Suspicion was that casino mogul (and Republican mega-donor) Sheldon Adelson had a lot to do with the Justice Department decision… and now we know for sure! Plus, now that the connections between Adelson and the DOJ have come to light, state Attorney Generals from New Jersey and Pennsylvania are starting to take action.   As the gaming and legal worlds have had time to absorb the new opinion on the Wire Act issued by the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel…

Is online gambling illegal in America now? The U.S. Department of Justice has done an a bout-face on their opinion on the 1961 Federal Wire Act. Their decision was in no small part a result of the millions of dollars in donations to certain congressmen from Sheldon Adelson, the billionaire owner of the largest gambling company in America, Sands Corporation. Reversing their decision from 2011, the DOJ now states that the 50 year old legislation makes all online gambling illegal, including casino games and poker. Their plan is to begin enforcing their new interpretation of the law within 90 days….

[three_fifth padding=”0 15px 0 15px”] [/three_fifth]The new year has brought America yet another attempt to ban online gambling in the country. Four US Congressmen have sent a letter to Rod Rosenstein, Deputy Attorney General at the Department of Justice. They are again asking for a reversal of the DOJ’s opinion that the 1961 Federal Wire Act does not apply to online gambling. This week’s special comes from PokerStars Casino.

This Week in Gambling is publishing this story because we believe there are several similarities between the legal marijuana industry and online gambling, from public perception to the way the federal government approaches them. The topics are also “states rights” issues, so watching how the Department of Justice approaches states who choose to regulate marijuana may give us some insight into how they may target states with legalized online gambling. There are a whole lot of reasons to be mad at Attorney General Jeff Sessions for pushing federal prosecutors – against all logic and reason – to crack down on…

[three_fifth padding=”0 15px 0 15px”] [/three_fifth]Now that Jeff Sessions has been confirmed as U.S. Attorney General, we can certainly expect the Department of Justice to “revisit” the Federal Wire Act. And if their opinion of the Wire Act changes, all online gambling in the United States could be shut down. This week’s special offer comes from Slotastic and the Grande Vegas online casino!

The National Football League (NFL) has long opposed allowing sports betting to gain more of a foothold in the United States than it already has. But surprisingly, the NFL has made arguments over the last 12 years that any sports bettor would find encouraging: namely, that betting on sports is an enterprise that takes skill. According to a report from ESPN, both the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the NFL have made statements during legal proceedings that say that sports betting is a skill-based activity. NFL outside counsel made that argument in 2003, while in 2013, then US Attorney Loretta…