据路透社和《华尔街日报》近日报道，美国司法部管辖下的法律顾问办公室在12月23日公开了9月份的一份文件，该文件可能为美国各州将彩票在线投注合法化扫清了障碍，同时为各州增加数十亿美元的税收和在线博彩业发展带来了可能。

　　网售理论上不违法

　　据悉，起草该文件的助理司法部长塞兹在文件中指出，国会在1961年通过的《电信法案》明确写有禁止通过通讯网络对体育活动或比赛投注的条文，法案本意只是为了禁止赛马等体育博彩，而不是限制各州利用互联网销售彩票。她说，“按照一般理解，‘体育活动和比赛’的含义并不包括彩票，我们认为彩票不在《电信法案》的禁止范围内。”

　　有法律学者表示，该文件颠覆了美国司法部一直以来将各种形式的在线博彩视为非法的立场，此次解释无疑为各州和网络博彩业送上了一份“圣诞大礼”。目前，对于该文件与上述《电信法案》和2006年美国出台的的《禁止互联网博彩法案UIGEA》（《Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006》）的关联性及利害关系，尚未有政府、法律界人士和媒体做出相关评论。

　　伊州网售跃跃欲试

　　当地时间12月26日，伊利诺伊州彩票总监迈克尔·琼斯对这一“圣诞大礼”做出响应，他表示对在线彩票的前景非常期待，并且希望在未来的三到四个月内实现彩票网络销售。

　　据了解，该州彩票官员对于将彩票搬上网络这一项目早有计划——2009年，该州一项大型公路和桥梁建设项目或批，立法者寄希望于网络彩票收入作为该建设项目的支付者，但是由于网络售彩的司法障碍，这一希望落空。“在未来的十天里，我们会开始筹划网络售彩细节，如若政府真正开放网络售彩，我州将会是第一个正式网售的地方。”迈克尔·琼斯表示，他们将以网络彩票游戏作为网络售彩主打，例如乐透、超级百万和强力球将作为主打游戏，而并非赌场游戏。

　　在线游戏不够成熟

　　目前，美国将在线扑克等形式的游戏合法化的州有内华达州和华盛顿特区。政府和行业顾问，惠蒂尔法学院游戏法专家尼尔森·罗斯表示，该言论会砍掉几乎所有能限制各州合法化在线博彩行为的联邦反博彩法案。如果各州像内华达州或华盛顿特区一样，根本就没有任何联邦法能规范运营商。

　　据估计，该文件的公开可能会使美国多个州对开展在线彩票游戏感兴趣，因为这样可以增加各州税收收入，帮助各州抵销联邦推行削减财政赤字政策带来的连锁反应。

　　译文

　　Reuters and the Wall Street Journal recently reported that the Office of Legal Counsel under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Justice on December 23, open a document in September, the file may be states online lottery betting legalization cleared the way for , as well as the states billions of dollars in taxes and online gaming industry brings the possibility.

　　Net sales in theory is not illegal

　　It is reported that the drafting of the Assistant Attorney General Sides in the document pointed out that the Telecommunications Act adopted by Congress in 1961 explicitly written to prohibit betting on sports events or competitions through the communication network provision, bill intended only to prohibit horse racing sports gaming, rather than limiting the state's use of the Internet sales of lottery. She said, "in accordance with the general understanding of the meaning of 'sports activities and competition' does not include the lottery, we think that the lottery is not the" Telecommunications Act "prohibited within."

　　Some legal scholars said that the document to subvert the position of the U.S. Department of Justice has since the various forms of online gaming as illegal, this explains no doubt the state and network gaming industry brought to a "Christmas gift". At present, the relevance and interest for the file with the Telecommunications Act and the 2006 introduction of prohibitions on Internet gambling bill the UIGEA （the "Unlawful Internet Gambling. Enforcement Act of 2006"）， yet the government, the legal profession and the media to make comment.

　　Illinois network for sale to try it

　　Local time on December 26, Michael Jones, director of the Illinois state lottery, to respond to this "Christmas gift", he said that the prospects are very much looking forward to on-line lottery, the lottery network of sales and hope to achieve within the next three to four months .

　　It is understood that the state lottery official lottery onto the network, this project already made plans - in 2009, the state of a major highway and bridge construction project or grant, legislators hope the network lottery revenue as the construction project payment, but due to the network sale of the color of the judicial obstacles hopes dashed. "In the next ten days, we will start planning for the network details of the sale of color, should the government sale of color truly open network, my state will be the first official net sales." Michael Jones said, they will be network lottery game The main sale of color as a network, such as Lotto, Mega Millions and Powerball will be used as the main game, rather than the casino games.

　　Online games are not mature enough

　　Currently, the U.S. state to legalize online poker and other forms of the game, Nevada and Washington, DC. Government and industry consultant, Nelson Rose, Whittier Law School, gaming law expert, said the speech would cut off virtually all federal anti-gaming bill to limit the states to legalize online betting behavior. If states like Nevada or Washington, DC, there is no any federal law to regulate the operators.

　　It is estimated that the file open may cause many U.S. states are interested in carrying out online lottery games, because it can increase state tax revenues to help states offset the federal implementation of the reduction of the ripple effect of budget deficit policy.