The Biden administration could be a boon for online poker, and may likely reverse a decision that put interstate play into murky waters.

Joe Biden says he opposes the Justice Department’s reinterpretation of the Wire Act, which would apply the statute to all forms of interstate gambling. (Image: Scott Olson/Getty)

In 2018, the Trump administration reversed a 2011 opinion on the Interstate Wire Act of 1961 that said the law only applied to sports betting. The 2011 opinion served as the basis for the formation of an interstate compact between Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware that helped create larger player pools and made games more attractive to aficionados. The 2018 reversal put the brakes on Pennsylvania’s plans to join the fray, which would have practically doubled the population base for interstate online poker.

DOJ Loses Appeals on Wire Act Interpretation