Chris Christie: Wire Act prosecutions “not a priority for DOJ”
Former NJ governor calls for a rewrite of regulations to accommodate online gambling
The former governor of New Jersey Chris Christie has said the enforcement of the Department of Justice’s revised opinion on the Wire Act is “not a priority” for the DOJ.
Speaking at the annual American Gaming Association summit yesterday, Christie said US Attorney General William Barr would not actively pursue enforcement of the new Wire Act, adding that it was “probably necessary” for the act to be rewritten to accommodate online gaming.
The revised interpretation has slowed down the launch of online gaming in Pennsylvania and is “crippling” the growth of mobile betting in West Virginal, according to local politicians.
Christie also slammed senate efforts to bring the regulation of sports betting under federal regulation, saying there was no need for federal involvement in the process.
“States have been regulating gambling for decades and have done so without incident. State regulation of casino gambling has worked. Why would it be any different for sports betting?” Christie added.
Christie’s comments come amid a busy time for the regulation of sports betting in the US with bills being debated in Indiana, Ohio and Tennessee.
A key issue for many states has been sporting associations’ calls for the payment of so-called “integrity fees” as a way of stopping potential match fixing from taking place, which Christie called unnecessary.
“No state should tell you that you have to pay a fee to the leagues, to pay for data that’s publicly available. That’s all. That’s your judgement to make as a business, not coming from an elected official,” Christie added.
Christie called for a new era of cooperation between sporting associations and state authorities, saying that they all need to concentrate their efforts on developing “a rigorous regulatory scheme” for US sports betting.