The New Hampshire Lottery Commission is suing the Trump Administration over its ability to sell lottery tickets online.
In 2011, the U.S. Department of Justice issued an opion clearing the way for online sale of tickets.
Since then, eight states have launched online sales, including New Hampshire, which did so last September. The Lottery Commission says it expects to sell as much as $6 million worth of scratch off and “draw games” such as Mega Millions during the current fiscal year over the internet.
But in November, the Trump Administration reversed course arguing in a new legal opinion that online lottery sales would violate the Wire Act. Lawyers from the N.H. Attorney General’s office, which represent state agencies, argue in a court filing submitted Friday that the Department of Justice’s revised opinion is “contrary to law.”
Trump Administration officials haven’t yet responded to the lawsuit. New Hampshire appears to be the first state to seek legal action since November’s policy reversal.
