Rep. Barton cheers DOJ online gambling ruling

A recent ruling from the Justice Department that could pave the way for states to allow online gambling was praised Friday by a House lawmaker pushing to legalize online poker.

“I am glad the Department of Justice finally recognized what millions of poker players already knew: Internet poker isn’t a crime, it is a game of skill and it shouldn’t be outlawed by the Wire Act,” said Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), who has pushed for the legalization and regulation of online poker.

The Justice Department released a ruling last month clarifying that the Wire Act’s ban on interstate transactions related to gambling applies only to sports betting, opening the door for states to offer online gaming to their citizens. The ruling was a reversal of DOJ’s previous position.

“While the ruling clears up some confusion about the Wire Act and how it applies to online gaming, it also opens the door for more complications,” Barton added.

“If Congress doesn’t act soon we could end up with fractured rules and regulations that vary state to state, leaving more opportunity for fraud and fewer safeguards for players.”

Barton’s bill, H.R. 2366, is currently pending in the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade, which held several hearings on the issue of online gambling last year. The bill would legalize and regulate online poker at the federal level. Barton sits on the subcommittee.

Support for legalizing online poker has grown since DOJ shut down much of the industry during a series of stings early last year. But state lottery organizations argue the sites should be regulated by state gaming commissions, not the federal government.