New Jersey joins DOJ lawsuit
The state is joining a lawsuit against the Department of Justice’s reinterpretation of the Wire Act.
US.- Gurbir Grewal, Attorney General of New Jersey, announced this week that the state is joining a lawsuit against the Department of Justice (DOJ) for its recent legal opinion that says that the Wire Act should apply to all forms of online gambling instead of just sports betting.
Grewal and Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro believe that Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson might have taken part in the reinterpretation because he considers that his brick and mortar facilities could lose profits to online gambling.
“The future of New Jersey’ online gaming industry is at stake because of DOJ’s unlawful about-face regarding internet gaming — activity that DOJ promised us was perfectly legal just eight years ago,” Grewal said Monday in a statement. He added that they will not stand by and let the “arbitrary, politically-driven reinterpretation destroy a vibrant and essential industry “ in their state.
The state follows New Hampshire, which was the first to file the suit in mid-February, as it claims that New Jersey would lose funding from taxes and fees, hundreds of jobs for its citizens, the secondary gains to its economy from the development of new in-state businesses of jobs.
Last week, it was reported that the DOJ’s deadline had been pushed back from April 15 to mid-June in order to give operators time to readapt their operations.
