New Jersey AG Files Brief in Wire Act Case

This week New Jersey's Attorney General filed the state's amicus brief regarding the lawsuit filed against the US Department of Justice's reinterpretation of the 1961 Wire Act, stating that the law does not restrict the Garden State's right to offer online gambling.

Attorney General Gurbir Grewal filed the brief with the First District Federal Court of Appeals after the DOJ filed an appeal in the case after courts ruled in New Jersey's favor. During the Obama administration, former AG Eric Holder ruled that the 1961 Wire Act did not pertain to internet betting (which makes sense, considering the internet wasn't invented at the time), which opened the way for states to begin regulating the activity. New Jersey was one of the first states to do so, and they've raked in millions of dollars in revenue since that time.

When the Trump administration came into power, the Attorney General's office reversed their stance, saying the law does apply to online betting. New Jersey and New Hampshire immediately indicated that they'd try the case in court, with the initial decision going their way. The DOJ has appealed the case, and documents are currently being filed to have the appeal decided on.

Grewal claims that the case is without merit and says that the change in opinion was influenced by anti-online gambling activists like Sheldon Adelson.

Casino Listings News will inform readers as the case develops.