WASHINGTON – For more than 50 years, federal law prohibited gambling over phone lines and, later, on the Internet. However, in 2011 the U.S. Department of Justice announced that the law would be completely re-interpreted to only prohibit sports betting. This revision opened the floodgates for all forms of Internet gambling, including the sale of lottery tickets online. Since then,NACS has supported legislation that would restore the original interpretation of the Wire Act of 1961.

The Restoration of America’s Wire Act — S. 2159 in the Senate and H.R. 4301 in the U.S. House of Representatives — seeks to prohibit Internet gambling and the sale of lottery products online. NACS needs your help to urge your legislators to support these bills.

Take action now! The NACS grassroots system will generate a pre-drafted, editable letter to your Senator or Representative, either requesting they co-sponsor this legislation or thanking them for introducing/co-sponsoring.

If you have any questions, contact NACS Senior Vice President of Government Relations Lyle Beckwith or at (703) 518-4220. You can also read more about lottery sales and new technologies in the June issue of NACS Magazine.