Here is the weekly recap of the top news in the legal world of internet gaming for the week of Aug. 25-29:
- West Virginia Lottery Considering Online Options
- Georgia Lottery opposes federal legislation to reinterpret Wire Act to ban internet gaming
- National Council of State Legislatures Adopts Resolution in Support of States' Rights vis-a-vis Internet Gaming
West Virginia Lottery Considering Online Options
The West Virginia's Lottery Director Lottery announced publicly this week that the West Virginia Lottery is meeting with industry representatives in an effort to explore West Virginia's internet gaming options. While no determination has been made to offer internet gaming, West Virginia wants to plan for the future and the ongoing changes to the industry.
In an interview with the Charleston Daily Mail, Director Musgrave said he believes internet lottery sales could be implemented without any change in existing law.
Georgia Lottery opposes federal legislation to reinterpret Wire Act to ban internet gaming
News broke this week of an April letter sent by Georgia Lottery Director Debbie Dlugolenski Alford to a top U.S. House attorney blasting HR 4301, the Resolution of America's Wire Act, which would hurt education in Georgia. Since, November of 2012, the Georgia Lottery has generated more than $6.6 million in online lottery ticket sales, with almost $2 million allocated to the HOPE scholarship program and to pre-Kindergarten programs in Georgia.
National Council of State Legislatures Adopts Resolution in Support of States' Rights vis-a-vis Internet Gaming
At last week's NCSL Legislative Summit in Minneapolis, the NCSL's Standing Committee on Communications, Financial Services & Interstate Commence and Standing Committee on Budgets and Revenue adopted a resolution in support of State Sovereignty in Online Gaming.
The resolution states that Congress should "consider the perspective of the states as it examines this issue and asks that it involve state legislators in any federal efforts that seek to reform the regulation of online gaming. NCSL strongly opposes any effort by the federal government to overturn the Justice Department's ruling or consideration of legislation overruling state authority by legalizing or regulating gambling at the federal level."
Disclaimer: This Alert has been prepared and published for informational purposes only and is not offered, nor should be construed, as legal advice. For more information, please see the firm's full disclaimer.
