New Hampshire sues over internet gambling opinion
Posted Feb 15, 2019 11:42 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
CONCORD, N.H. — New Hampshire has become the first state to challenge a U.S. Department of Justice legal opinion that could threaten online gambling and state-run lotteries.
In a reversal from 2011, the department issued an opinion in November interpreting the federal Wire Act as applying to any former of gambling that crosses state lines, not just sports betting. That raised concerns about the viability of online poker and other gambling across states, as well as state lotteries.
The New Hampshire Lottery Commission filed a lawsuit in federal court Friday saying the opinion subjects its employees to prosecution, creates uncertainty about whether it should cease operations and could cost the state more than $90 million a year.
A message seeking comment was left with the Department of Justice.
Holly Ramer, The Associated Press
