SBC News Lindsey Graham re-introduces original Wire Act interpretation to US Senate

Lindsey Graham re-introduces original Wire Act interpretation to US Senate

graham
Lindsey Graham

Republican Senator and US Presidency 2016 candidate Lindsey Graham has re-introduced the original interpretation of the Wire Act, by presenting to the senate the Restoration of America’s Wire Act, a legislation that would aim to effectively end most forms of online gambling in the US.

The proposed legislation would renew federal restrictions on online gambling services, by reinstating the original interpretation of the Wire Act (1961). The Wire Act is prohibition on the transmission of wagers applies only to sports betting and not other types of online gambling. The Supreme Court has not ruled on the meaning of the Federal Wire Act as it pertains to online gambling.

If approved that legislation would lead to the closure of licensed online gambling services in the states of Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware.

The Restoration of America’s Wire has been lobbied by Las Vegas Sands owner Sheldon Adelson, a key donor of the Republican Party. The proposed legislation has received the backing of Republican Presidential candidate Marco Rubio

“Expanded gambling presents many challenges, especially on the Internet where safeguards to protect people from fraud and addiction are harder to enforce,” Rubio said. “In 2011, the Obama-Holder Justice Department completely bypassed Congress and unilaterally decided to re-interpret the law to open the door to a widespread expansion of online gambling. Congress should restore existing prohibitions on Internet gambling before beginning a public debate about next steps.”

Critics of the proposed legislation have stated that it has been driven by the self-interest of Adelson who aims remove any competition from his land based casinos. Further commentators have stated that the reinstatement of the Wire Act wold only fuel the online black market.

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