US judge to hear case with implications for state lotteries
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A federal judge will hear a legal challenge from New Hampshire over a U.S. Department of Justice legal opinion that the state fears will threaten online gambling and state-run lotteries.
A hearing is scheduled to start Thursday morning.
The department in November interpreted the federal Wire Act as applying to any form of gambling that crosses state lines, not just sports betting. That raised concerns about the viability of online poker and other gambling across states, as well as state lotteries.
The New Hampshire Lottery Commission sued in February, saying the opinion subjects its employees to prosecution, creates uncertainty about whether it should cease operations and could cost the state more than $90 million a year.
Several states, including Michigan and New Jersey, filed friend-of-court briefs in support of the lawsuit.
