Bill Would Ban Most Forms of Online Gambling In The United States

Published on March 26th, 2014 5:52 pm EST

Earlier today, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) officially introduced the "Restoration of America's Wire Act" bill in the Senate and House of Representatives.

The purpose of the bill? "To restore long-standing United States policy that the Wire Act prohibits all forms of Internet gambling, and for other purposes."

The bill would reverse a 2011 ruling by the Justice Department that limited the reach of the Wire Act to just sports. The "Restoration of America's Wire Act" bill, if passed, would make a number of changes, including amending Section 1084 of title 18, United States Code, from:

"..bets or wagers or information assisting in the placing of bets or wagers on any sporting event or contest.."

to:

"..any bet or wager, or information assisting in the placing of any bet or wager.."

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Following the re-interpretation of the Wire Act in 2011 by the Justice Department, a number of states, including New Jersey and Nevada, elected to open up their states to online gaming. Other states, including California, have also been examining the possibility of offering real-money online gaming to their residents.

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Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California), Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) have all thrown their support behind the "Restoration of America's Wire Act" bill. Proponents of the bill point to the support of Feinstein as proof that they will be able to gain bi-partisan support.

The Democratic Governors Association came out against the bill on Wednesday, stating that "the bill has a severe and disastrous impact on state governments", and that the "bill must be defeated". The Association argues that the bill would intrude on the rights of states and cause a significant loss of much-needed revenues.

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Sheldon Adelson, chairman and CEO of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation and one of the world's richest men, has made a federal ban on online gambling one of his top priorities in life. The results of his efforts are already bearing fruit, as evidenced by the bill that was introduced to the House and Senate earlier today.

The big question now is - will Adelson eventually succeed in his effort to enact a federal ban on online gambling?

Source: Thehill.com - Graham, Chaffetz push online gambling ban

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Filed Under: Poker Legal Issues