Unlike in the United Kingdom, online gambling activities are not permitted in the United States. The regulator has historically held any online gambling activity to be illegal, until now. On December 23, 2011 the US Department of Justice reversed its decade long position on the applicability of the US Wire Act to online gambling that does not involve sports betting. This may well clear the way for individual States to become more aggressive in legislatively enabling intra-State online gaming and could potentially allow the Federal Government to permit licensing and regulating of online gambling. This is not simply big news for the US. Gaming and gambling operators around the world may now be able to establish a foothold and ultimately a major presence in the US with Uncle Sam’s online casinos. For more information, read the Client Alert prepared by lawyers in our New York Office.