States and stakeholders begging the U.S. federal government to take a firmer stance against unauthorized gambling is nothing new. But, given the industry shifts we’ve seen in recent times, and the strength of both the numbers and the evocations used this time around, the latest incident makes one sit up and take notice.
In their letter to the Department of Justice this week, a group of 50 U.S. attorneys general urged the DOJ to quell the “rampant spread” of illegal gambling by replicating online poker’s Black Friday of 2011.
Calling for measures such as the pursuit of injunctive relief under the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) and the seizure of website domains and other assets, the chief legal officers of 46 states are essentially egging on the federal government to smash doors and take names.
Their rhetoric sounds powerful, and 50 AGs coming together to urge such action is certainly meaningful. But the very fact that states are sending cries for help to federal..