US Attorney General to push for online gaming ban – reports

United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions could reintroduce a federal ban on all state-regulated online gambling in the country, according to various reports in the national media.

In 2011, the US online gambling market was reopened when a law was signed to allow individual states to legalise internet gaming within their boundaries.

New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware have so far taken up the option to introduce a regulated online gaming service, while a number of other states have considered similar moves.

However, a number of lobby groups have continued to campaign against the law and have backed the Restoration of America’s Wire Act, which would ultimately outlaw any form of internet gaming in the country.

According to the Huffington Post, Sessions could consider such a move, despite a reported lack of public support and opposition from the National Governors Association.

Chris Grove, a consultant for stakeholders in the country’s regulated market, told the publication that should the ban be reintroduced, it would threaten thousands of job across the country, halt the creation of tens of thousands of new jobs and negatively impact tax income for those states that have legalised online gaming.

In addition, Grove said consumers in the country would continue to access online gaming services via unregulated offshore sites, which would put their safety at risk and halt the flow of tax income to states.

“A federal ban on regulated online gambling would be a tremendous loss for consumers and states,” Grove said.

“It would be a massive victory for the illegal, offshore betting industry, which has no interest in competing with state-regulated sites.

“That can hardly be an outcome AG Sessions hopes to achieve; but it is the inevitable effect of any federal action to rob states of their ability to decide whether online gambling regulation is right for them.”

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