Reid and Kyl question DoJ poker stance
Senators send letter to Attorney General Eric Holder addressing illegal gambling and intrastate egaming legislation.
United States Senators Harry Reid and Jon Kyl have issued a strongly worded letter to Attorney General Eric Holder urging the Department of Justice (DoJ) to reaffirm its position on online gambling.
Referring to the Black Friday indictments and May’s Blue Monday domain seizures, the letter – published by the Las Vegas Sun – suggests that “[A] lack of activity from law enforcement led to a significant and growing perception that operating internet poker and other internet gambling did not violate US laws, or at least that the Department of Justice thought that the case was uncertain enough that it chose not to pursue enforcement actions”.
The letter also addresses potential intrastate proposals such as those passed in the District of Columbia, saying “activity over the internet inherently crosses state lines, implicating federal anti-gambling laws such as the Wire Act.
Senator Kyl (pictured) – set to retire from office next year – had previously seemed to soften his stance on egaming, while Reid was the principal lawmaker behind December’s federal poker bill which failed to make it into law.
However now their respective stances have been brought into question, as they have asked the Department of Justice to “pursue aggressively and consistently those offering illegal internet gambling in the United States.”
It is unclear where this puts federal bills such as those introduced by Joe Barton and John Campbell in recent months, not to mention the proposed third bill endorsed by the American Gaming Association.
The letter from Kyl and Reid does not address alterations to federal law which impact upon the legal status of egaming, although it is worth noting that Reid did not follow Campbell and Barney Frank in pledging support for Barton’s bill.