New Jersey Sues DOJ Over Online Gambling

This week New Jersey's Attorney General Gurbir Grewal sued the United States Department of Justice over the department's refusal to provide information as to whether or not their reversal on Wire Act interpretation was influenced by Sheldon Adelson.

The lawsuit comes months after the DOJ reversed its opinion on the 1961 Wire Act by saying that the law does apply to internet gambling, despite the fact that the internet wasn't invented at that time. The opinion makes interstate online gambling illegal, at least in the eyes of the federal government, and legal action could come down as a result.

New Jersey is asking questions as to whether or not the DOJ was influenced to make its decision by billionaire anti-online gambling activist Sheldon Adelson, who donated heavily to President Donald Trump's campaign. The Garden State filed a Freedom of Information Act request to see any potential information related to Adelson's potential influence, but the DOJ has not given any of that information as of press time.

The suit seeks the release of the information and would likely go toward other lawsuits aimed at getting the opinion tossed out. States don't like the current opinion, as they've either already implemented online betting or are looking to do so in the future and don't want the feds interfering. Its believed that Adelson's influence at least in played a role in the reversal, as he views online betting as competition that will keep players from visiting his Las Vegas Sands properties.

We're keeping our ears to the ground on this story and we'll be updating readers as the case develops.