Wire Act reversal faces opposition

Gaming advocate Raymond Lesniak is ready to fight the federal government over the DoJ memo that reinterpreted the Wire Act.

US.- The new US Department of Justice (DOJ) legal opinion that says the Wire Act should apply to all forms of online gambling instead of just sports betting has worried the industry, which is getting ready to fight it once more. That’s why New Jersey gaming advocate Raymond Lesniak is preparing a response to the DOJ in defense of the gambling business.

Lesniak was tasked with the draft of a response by New Jersey Senate President Steve Sweeney, who showed his concerns about the decision to reinterpret the Wire Act: “The new Justice Department opinion threatens the significant boost enjoyed by New Jersey casinos, the jobs and state revenues from online gaming and it could have a negative impact on sports betting at our casinos and racetracks,” he said. “We don’t want to lose the hard fought gains that are helping to revive Atlantic City and the state’s gaming industry.”

Lesniak had already fought the federal government to get online gambling approved in the state and is now ready to go at it again. “It looks like I will have to go to court again to straighten out the Justice Department’s overreaching on states’ rights, just as I did with sports betting,” he said. “This opinion is outrageous. If Congress won’t fix it, I will through the judicial process.”