The backlash from the recent Wire Act decision has been swift and harsh. It has come from states’ rights activists and internet rights groups, gambling lobbies and state legislators, all incensed by the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel’s memo released this month. The opinion was written in early
There was progress in Connecticut in 2018, with lawmakers taking a more serious look at forms of internet gambling than in the past. This was done at the urging of the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Tribes of Connecticut, both operating massive gambling operations and both in favor of legalized online
Several states gave online poker fans hope in 2018 that they would legalize the game. Nevada, Delaware, and New Jersey have been the only ones offering legal online poker for the last five years, and Pennsylvania is preparing to join the group. But no other states have passed pro-online gambling
Three states have been offering legalized, state-licensed online poker within their borders for more than five years. Nevada doesn’t provide public information about the revenue generated, but New Jersey and Delaware do through their in-state regulators. This gives analysts the opportunity to track online gaming success and poker ups and
The numbers are in for December 2018 in New Jersey, which means the final figures are also available for the entire year of 2018. Analysts can finally look at another full year of interactive gaming, espousing all of the benefits of the overall industry. In fact, the numbers were so
Money can buy a lot of things, especially in the world of politics. Casino magnate and billionaire Sheldon Adelson has shown that it may take time, perseverance, and very large sums of money, but it can be done. His dream of banning internet gambling – in one way or another
Illinois was close last year. There was a strong bill championed by State Representative Robert Rita and others, there were hearings, and there was widespread support for the sports betting part of the bill. Online poker and casino games were also included in that gambling expansion bill, along with new
During the holidays, word spread that the US Department of Justice had written a reversal of a pivotal 2011 Wire Act decision. The new opinion from the DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel reportedly overturned that decision, which had allowed states the unequivocal right to offer online lottery ticket sales and
It may be tough to remember, but it did happen. West Virginia did offer up online gaming legislation in the past, back in early 2017, in fact. It was easily missed in any news cycle, though, because the bill garnered no support from the majority of the legislature and died
Once upon a time, California appeared to be the state most likely to legalize online poker. There were bills introduced each year, and the majority of lawmakers saw the benefits of regulating the game, especially when Nevada did it and the possibility of sharing poker liquidity looked more realistic. And
One could say that 2018 was a year of adjustments for the Poker Alliance. It started the year as the PPA (Poker Players Alliance) but with more financial troubles than at any time in the past decade, and it ended as the Poker Alliance, a new group financed by Poker
As 2018 came to a close, online poker legislation in New York was at rest again, having endured another year of inaction that killed the bill. Several years of hope and potential were once again dashed. One of the primary concerns going into 2019 was whether there would be a
