The key provisions of the Goodlatte Bill are to:
1. Expand the Wire Act to apply to all games of chance, such as poker, blackjack, backgammon, bingo and any other casino game, as well to cover lotteries. This is a "legislative reversal" of the Fifth Circuit's ruling of In Re MasterCard case in which the Wire Act was held to be limited to sports gambling, and not cover any other forms of gambling.
2. Exempt from the Wire Act the types of games offered by sponsors where entry into the games are free to the customers and the only prize is to participate in a contest by the sponsor
3. Exempt from the Wire Act "fantasy sports" involving fictional teams, etc.
4. Expand the jurisdictional application of the Wire Act to cover (1) anywhere in the United States, (2) any State or Indian Tribe, or (3) any United States territory.
5. Further expand the jurisdictional application of the Wire Act to cover situations where a bet is placed or received from (1) anywhere in the United States or a territory of the United States, (2) from the maritime jurisdiction of the United States, or (3) to or from any place outside the jurisdiction of any nation (i.e., Sealand or Antarctica or the Moon).
6. Raises the penalty for violations of the Wire Act from two years, to five years.
7. Expands the criminal acts under the law to include any business that uses electronic payment systems of any type (credit cards, wires, checks) in furtherance of a bet made illegal under the new Wire Act, a new twist on the Leach/Kyl bills.
8. Provides a "carve out" or "exemption" for three big special interest groups: (a) Intrastate remote gambling (all occuring within a state that authorizes such gambling), (b) Tribal gambling, and (c) the Horse Racing Industry. All remote gambling under the IHA is exempt from the Wire Act under this proposed legislation.
1. Expand the Wire Act to apply to all games of chance, such as poker, blackjack, backgammon, bingo and any other casino game, as well to cover lotteries. This is a "legislative reversal" of the Fifth Circuit's ruling of In Re MasterCard case in which the Wire Act was held to be limited to sports gambling, and not cover any other forms of gambling.
2. Exempt from the Wire Act the types of games offered by sponsors where entry into the games are free to the customers and the only prize is to participate in a contest by the sponsor
3. Exempt from the Wire Act "fantasy sports" involving fictional teams, etc.
4. Expand the jurisdictional application of the Wire Act to cover (1) anywhere in the United States, (2) any State or Indian Tribe, or (3) any United States territory.
5. Further expand the jurisdictional application of the Wire Act to cover situations where a bet is placed or received from (1) anywhere in the United States or a territory of the United States, (2) from the maritime jurisdiction of the United States, or (3) to or from any place outside the jurisdiction of any nation (i.e., Sealand or Antarctica or the Moon).
6. Raises the penalty for violations of the Wire Act from two years, to five years.
7. Expands the criminal acts under the law to include any business that uses electronic payment systems of any type (credit cards, wires, checks) in furtherance of a bet made illegal under the new Wire Act, a new twist on the Leach/Kyl bills.
8. Provides a "carve out" or "exemption" for three big special interest groups: (a) Intrastate remote gambling (all occuring within a state that authorizes such gambling), (b) Tribal gambling, and (c) the Horse Racing Industry. All remote gambling under the IHA is exempt from the Wire Act under this proposed legislation.
