While other US states are seeking ways to make intrastate online gambling a reality, the governor of Utah has made a statement by signing a bill that will ban online gaming.
After the Department of Justice published an opinion paper declaring that the Wire Act does not incorporate online poker and casino games, many states moved swiftly ahead to pave their way to open their gambling industries in a bid to include these forms of entertainment.
However, Republican lawmaker, Stephen Sandstrom of Utah most likely panicked at the idea of the state following in its neighbors’ footsteps and therefore drafted a proposal that would thwart any local attempts at legalizing online gambling.
Sandstrom’s bill, which has been less than two months on the table, was proposed after the Republican decided that “many gambling critics see the DOJ’s recent interpretation as another major crack in America’s moral foundation”. Utah thus became the first state to respond in a negative way to the DOJ’s announcement.
Utah, which is the only state other than Hawaii to not have any form of legal gambling, penalizes online gamblers with a class B misdemeanor and up to six months in prison with a $1,000 fine.
The Executive Director of the Poker Players Alliance, John Pappas said that his group was “not happy with the outcome.”
“We fought it,” he said, “We worked with lobbyists there. Our state director got involved. It’s not an ideal outcome, but, given Utah’s history with gaming, it’s not a surprising outcome.”
