Internet gambling occurs in both the jurisdiction where the gambler is located and in the country where the online gambling operation is, the U.S. Department of Justice has decided.
The Nevada Gaming Commission and Gaming Control Board had asked the opinion of the Department of Justice regarding the legality of Assembly Bill 446, a law passed in Nevada in June 2001 that makes Internet gambling legal in the state.
Nevada regulatory authorities announced Thursday that the Department of Justice has issued its opinion. The federal agency's view of Internet gambling is that it is illegal in the United States via the Wire Act.
"Additionally, it is the Department's view that the gambling activity occurs both in the jurisdiction where the bettor is located and the state or foreign country where the gambling business is located," the Department of Justice stated in a letter to the Nevada Gaming Control Board.
IGN will report on this story throughout the day Friday as more details unfold.