Bruning Expresses Opposition to Expanded Gambling in Bipartisan Letter to Congress

 Attorney General Jon Bruning today announced Nebraska, Missouri and South Carolina authored a letter urging Congress to consider the implications of a recent interpretation of the federal Wire Act as it pertains to Internet gambling. In a bipartisan effort, a total of 16 state attorneys general signed the letter.   “I have always been, and continue to be, strongly opposed to expanded gambling in Nebraska and online,” said Bruning. “The ease and anonymity of online gambling compounds issues related to gambling addiction and is a threat to families across the country.”   For years, the federal government consistently interpreted the Wire Act to prohibit all forms of gambling involving interstate wire transmissions – including transmissions over the Internet. In late 2011, reversing its own longstanding interpretations, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Council issued a legal opinion stating the Wire Act only bans sports betting and does not apply to online gambling.   A copy of the letter can be found here.