Wire Act meaning: the Wire Act of 1961 (18 U.S.C. § 1084) is a federal law that bars people in the business of betting from knowingly using wire communications to send interstate or foreign bets, or betting information. A 2021 federal appeals ruling held it covers only sports betting, though state attorneys general say that ruling directly binds the Justice Department only as to the parties.
The Wire Act targets businesses that take bets, not individual bettors, according to the statute's wording.
Penalties are a fine, up to two years in prison, or both.
The First Circuit ruled in January 2021 that it applies only to sports betting.
The DOJ's 2018 opinion read it more widely; state attorneys general said the court ruling directly binds only the parties.
Your state's own law still decides whether online gambling is lawful where you are.
Citation
18 U.S.C. § 1084
Enacted
1961
Applies to
Persons in the business of betting or wagering
Penalty
Fine, up to 2 years' prison, or both
Scope (1st Cir., 2021)
Sports betting only
Supreme Court review
Not recorded
Wire Act meaning in plain terms
The Wire Act is a short federal criminal statute from 1961. Its core rule, in the text at Cornell's Legal Information Institute (opens in a new tab), covers anyone engaged in the business of betting or wagering who knowingly uses a wire communication facility to transmit interstate or foreign bets, information that assists in placing bets on any sporting event or contest, or a communication that entitles the recipient to money or credit from bets.
Two exceptions matter. News reporting of sporting events is exempt, and so is sending information that helps with sports betting from one place where it's legal into another place where it's legal. A third provision lets law enforcement require a phone or internet carrier to cut off service used to transmit gambling information illegally. You'll find related legal terms in our casino glossary.
Who the Wire Act applies to: operators, not players
The statute is aimed at those in the business of betting, meaning operators and bookmakers. Its wording doesn't target the individual who places a bet. That doesn't make a player's position simple, though, because state laws apply separately and some reach players directly.
Wire Act timeline: DOJ opinions and the First Circuit
How the Wire Act's scope has been read
Date
Event
What it said
1961
Wire Act enacted
Bars betting businesses from using wires for interstate or foreign bets
2011
DOJ Office of Legal Counsel memo
Act limited to sports betting; state online lottery sales not covered
November 2, 2018
New OLC opinion (published early 2019)
Most prohibitions reach non-sports betting too
Early 2019
90-day enforcement delay
Prosecutors told to wait so businesses could comply
January 20, 2021
First Circuit: NH Lottery Commission v. Rosen
Act covers only bets on sporting events or contests
June 18, 2021
State attorneys general letter
Ruling directly binds DOJ only as to the parties; asked DOJ to rescind 2018 view
The 2018 opinion, published by the Justice Department (opens in a new tab), concluded that only the betting-information clause is limited to sports, so the other prohibitions would reach casino games and lotteries. It also said UIGEA didn't change the Wire Act's scope. The Congressional Research Service's legal sidebar (opens in a new tab) explains the reversal and the 90-day delay.
In January 2021, the First Circuit held in New Hampshire Lottery Commission v. Rosen (opens in a new tab) that the Act applies only to wire communications about bets on sporting events or contests, and doesn't cover state lottery sales. Further review by the Supreme Court isn't recorded.
A Wire Act example in dollars
Picture a $100 bet on an NFL game. If an unlicensed bookmaker in one state takes that bet over the internet from a customer in another state, the transmission is the kind of interstate sports wager the statute describes, and it's the bookmaker's conduct the Act targets. The bettor's exposure, if any, depends on the law of the state where the bettor is.
Now take a $100 spin on an online slot. Under the First Circuit's reading, a non-sports casino game falls outside the Wire Act. That doesn't make offshore casino play lawful: state laws, the Illegal Gambling Business Act and the payment rules in UIGEA still apply.
Find out whether your state licenses online casinos; only seven do.
Read your state's gambling statute or regulator page, since state law decides legality for players.
Check whether the site is licensed by your state or is an offshore casino.
Remember that federal rules aimed at operators and payments don't make an unlicensed site safer for you.
What the Wire Act means for online casino players in 2026
For a US player, the Wire Act is mostly background. The 2021 case was brought by a state lottery, and the law's practical weight falls on betting businesses. The day-to-day question of whether online gambling is allowed where you live is answered by state law; see is online gambling legal in the US and states with legal online casinos.
State-licensed online casinos operate in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia, Delaware, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Everywhere else, real-money sites are offshore, with no state regulator to complain to.
Offshore casino offers via our links, and how the Wire Act applies
The Wire Act doesn't single out any of these casinos, and none of them is a better or worse fit for this topic; they're listed because readers researching the law often compare offshore options. All three are offshore casinos, not licensed or regulated by any US state, so there's no state regulator to complain to and no state protection of balances. State law decides whether you may play, so check yours first.
Slot Madness Casino: $2,500 Welcome Bonus + 50 Free Spins, via our link (new players, 21+ or 18+ where allowed, terms apply). Slot Madness's terms come only from third-party reviews, which report a 275% match up to $2,750 with a $30 minimum, 30x (bonus + deposit) wagering on slots and no max cashout, though one source calls the match unlimited. Michigan's regulator named Slot Madness in its August 14, 2025 release (opens in a new tab). See the Slot Madness review.
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Decode Casino: $5,000 Welcome Bonus + 50 Free Spins, via our link (new players, 21+ or 18+ where allowed, terms apply). Decode's site doesn't publish full bonus terms; third-party reviews report codes such as a 111% match up to $1,111 at 25x (bonus + deposit) with a $25 minimum, and say Decode refuses players from Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Washington. See the Decode review.
Bonuses are slot-focused, table games are often excluded or weighted lower, and the terms shown at sign-up apply.
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These are offshore casinos, not licensed by any US state; federal and state law both apply to online gambling. Check your state's law first; new players 21+ (18+ where allowed), terms apply.
Published terms (reported): Third-party reviews report a 275% match up to $2,750 with code MAD275; the casino site could not be checked directly. Eligible games: Slots and keno (reported).
Who runs it: License not shown; third parties report Anjouan, Costa Rica or none. Regulator notes: Named in a Michigan Gaming Control Board cease-and-desist release, August 14, 2025.
21+ (18+ where allowed). New players. Min deposit $30 (reported). Wagering 30x deposit + bonus (reported). Max cashout: None (reported). Withdrawal cap $2,500 / week (reported). Terms source: reported. Terms apply. Offer checked October 28, 2026.
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Who runs it: License not shown on its site; reported as a Deckmedia N.V. brand (Curaçao). Regulator notes: Named in a Michigan Gaming Control Board cease-and-desist release, October 8, 2026.
21+ (18+ where allowed). New players. Min deposit $20 per bonus. Wagering 25x deposit + bonus. Max cashout: None stated. Withdrawal cap $5,000 / week. Terms source: casino terms. Terms apply. Offer checked October 28, 2026.
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Who runs it: License not shown on its site; third parties report Curaçao. Regulator notes: Third parties report it refuses players in MD, NJ, NY and WA.
21+ (18+ where allowed). New players. Min deposit $25 (reported). Wagering Varies by code (25x–35x reported). Max cashout: Varies by code. Withdrawal cap $2,500 / week (reported). Terms source: reported. Terms apply. Offer checked October 28, 2026.
These casinos are offshore operators. They are not licensed or regulated by any US state, and state consumer protections do not apply. Check the law in your state before you play. Terms marked “reported” come from third-party reviews; the terms shown at sign-up apply.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the Wire Act in simple terms?
It's a 1961 federal law that bars people in the business of betting from knowingly using wire communications, including the internet, to send interstate or foreign bets or betting information. It's codified at 18 U.S.C. § 1084, and penalties are a fine, up to two years in prison, or both. Courts now read it as covering sports betting. Our Wire Act law page covers the full text and history.
Does the Wire Act apply to online casinos?
Under the First Circuit's January 2021 ruling, no: the court held the Act covers only bets on sporting events or contests. The Justice Department's 2018 opinion read it more widely, and state attorneys general said the ruling directly binds the department only as to the parties in that case. Either way, state law and other federal laws still apply to online casinos. See offshore casino legality.
Can a player be charged under the Wire Act?
The statute's wording targets those engaged in the business of betting or wagering, not individual bettors. That said, state laws operate separately, and some, such as Washington's RCW 9.46.240, cover anyone who knowingly transmits or receives gambling information online. What applies to you depends on your state. Read your state page and our answer on whether you can get in trouble for playing online casinos.
What did the 2018 DOJ Wire Act opinion say?
It said the Wire Act's prohibitions aren't all limited to sports. Only the clause on transmitting information that assists in placing bets is limited to sporting events, so the other clauses would reach non-sports betting such as casino games and lotteries. Dated November 2, 2018 and announced in January 2019, it reversed a 2011 opinion, and prosecutors were told to delay enforcing it by 90 days. See our Wire Act law page.
How is the Wire Act different from UIGEA?
The Wire Act, from 1961, criminalizes using wires to transmit bets or betting information by betting businesses. UIGEA, from 2006, targets payments: it bars gambling businesses from accepting cards, transfers and checks in connection with unlawful internet gambling. UIGEA doesn't itself make any gambling illegal; it relies on other federal or state law. Our UIGEA glossary entry explains the payment rules.
Did the Wire Act stop states from legalizing sports betting?
No. Its exceptions allow betting information to pass between places where the betting is legal, and the federal sports betting ban that did block states was a different law, PASPA, struck down by the Supreme Court in Murphy v. NCAA on May 14, 2018. States have since legalized sports betting on their own terms. Read PASPA and Murphy v. NCAA and sports betting laws.
Does the Wire Act affect New Hampshire’s online lottery?
No, under the First Circuit’s January 2021 ruling in New Hampshire Lottery Commission v. Rosen, the Wire Act doesn’t cover state lottery sales. The New Hampshire Lottery Commission brought the case after the Justice Department’s 2018 opinion suggested the Act could reach non-sports betting. Today the lottery sells e-Instants and draw tickets online, and it also runs the state’s sports wagering, with a minimum age of 18 for both. Online casinos remain unlicensed in New Hampshire. Our New Hampshire gambling hub covers the state, and state lotteries online explains how online ticket sales work.
Is online poker covered by the Wire Act?
Not under the First Circuit’s 2021 reading, which limits the Act to bets on sporting events or contests, so a poker game falls outside it. The 2011 Justice Department opinion took the same sports-only view, while the 2018 opinion would have reached non-sports games before the court rejected that reading. That leaves online poker to state law, and only some states license it. Playing on an unlicensed site carries the same offshore risks as any casino game. Read our online poker laws page and the is online poker legal in the US answer.
Can the Wire Act be used to block gambling sites?
In part, yes, through subsection (d) of the Wire Act. It says that when a law enforcement agency gives written notice, a common carrier regulated by the FCC must stop or refuse service being used to transmit gambling information illegally. The notice comes from law enforcement; the carrier doesn’t decide on its own. To block gambling sites yourself, use software such as Gamban or BetBlocker. Our how do I block gambling sites answer and blocking software page explain how.
Are sweepstakes casinos covered by the Wire Act?
Under the First Circuit’s 2021 reading, the Wire Act covers only sports betting, so it isn’t the law that sweepstakes casinos run into. Dual-currency sweepstakes sites have instead been tackled by state legislatures. New York, New Jersey, California, Connecticut, Montana, Louisiana, Maine, Indiana, Tennessee and Oklahoma have passed bans, and Oklahoma’s SB 1589 took effect on November 1, 2026. Other states, including Pennsylvania, have bills pending. Whether a sweepstakes site is lawful where you live is a state-law question. Our sweepstakes casino laws page and which states ban sweepstakes casinos answer list the details.
Is the Wire Act still in effect in 2026?
Yes, the Wire Act remains federal law at 18 U.S.C. § 1084, with penalties of a fine, up to two years in prison, or both. What has changed is how far it reaches. The First Circuit held in 2021 that it covers only sports betting, and further Supreme Court review isn’t recorded. In June 2021, state attorneys general asked the Justice Department to rescind its 2018 opinion; whether it has done so isn’t recorded. Meanwhile, legal sports betting runs under state licenses. See our sports betting laws page and our answer on whether online casinos are legal in the US.
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