- The NCSL has now adopted a formal position demanding that the federal government respect “the sovereignty of states to allow or to prohibit Internet gambling by its residents.”
- The policy position which is being forwarded to politicians in both houses, re-emphasizes the state’s opposition to any further attempts to reverse the DOJ’s re-interpretation of the Wire Act.
In April, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) wrote a letter to House and Senate leaders opposing any attempt to extend the Wire Act.
The NCSL has now adopted a formal position demanding that the federal government respect “the sovereignty of states to allow or to prohibit Internet gambling by its residents.”
The policy was adopted after receiving support from more than two thirds of the states which attended the NCSL annual business meeting on August 22.
The policy position which is being forwarded to politicians in both houses, re-emphasizes the state’s opposition to any further attempts to reverse the DOJ’s re-interpretation of the Wire Act.
In response to the Sheldon Adelson backed bills in House and Senate misleadingly entitled “Restoration of America’s Wire Act,” the NCSL is fulsome in its opposition.
“Any effort by Congress or the administration to reverse this ruling is preemptive and diminishes the flexibility of state legislatures to be innovative and responsive to the unique needs of the residents of each state.”
The campaign by the Adelson funded Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling (CSIG) has run into considerable opposition from states both because they do not wish to transfer sovereignty over the issue to the federal government, and because they want to retain the option to control and tax gambling at the state level.
