A Federal judge ruled the law used to wipe out the unregulated online poker industry in America in 2011 doesn’t apply to online poker. A judge ruled the Wire Act doesn’t apply to online poker. (Image: State.gov) The ruling should be the final say on how the Wire Act can be interpreted by the Department of Justice in current and future administrations when it comes to the online poker and casino industry. “The fight is pretty much over. Every court that has looked at the Wire Act agrees it only covers sports betting,” I. Nelson Rose, gambling attorney and professor of gambling law, told CardsChat. The online gambling company IGT filed the lawsuit in US District Court for the District of Rhode Island last year to force the court to declare whether or not the Federal government can use the Wire Act to go after the company.
The Wire Act was passed in 1961 to fight organized crime’s vast network of bookies who used phones to take bets on games.
IGT claimed that clarity was needed in order to protect the company from future lawsuits, and District Court Judge William Smith agreed in the September 15 ruling. What the ruling means for online poker in America
Although the ruling only applies to IGT, it will be the final say on the scope of the Wire Act, which only applies to betting on sports.
This means the last bit of gray area concerning the legality of connecting online player pools across state lines is gone.
This was already assumed by the governments of the four states that are part of the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA), but now can be taken as rule of law by officials in other states that allow online poker, but who may have been exercising caution with this matter.
It also gives online sites assurance that they won’t face prosecution by future conservative governments unless the laws are changed by Congress.
Rose thinks that’s a long shot. “Even if the Republicans win the presidency, House and Senate in 2024, it is doubtful they will want to expand the Wire Act […]
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