Latest News Articles

The Latest News for February, 2012

Vaca High Music offers $500 Win Again at Tuesday bingo

Free $500 game at Thursday Vanden Viking Bingo

Win a new Camaro on Valentines Day at River Rock

Pace Bingo to host two Bingo Specials in February

Lunar New Year starts February 4^th at River Rock Casino

Boom in Internet gambling ahead?

Skimmer credit card reader fraud

Milpitas MEGA Millions^® ticket wins nearly $200,000

$11 Million SuperLotto Plus^® ticket sold in San Lorenzo

History of Lottery in America

New pet could be best gift ever

Would you like to see your ADVERTISEMENT here? Give our office a call at 707.451.4646 for details!

Vaca High Music offers $500 Win Again at Tuesday bingo

VACAVILLE—The more you play and win, the more tickets you will receive that can be turned in for free Win Again game cards at the popular Vacaville H.S. Music Boosters Tuesday night bingo.

Each week, at the Vaca Valley Bingo hall, players receive a Win Again ticket that will get them game cards for the special $500 Win Again game. The Win Again game will be played on Tuesday, February 21^st and pay the winners $500.

Highlights for February at the popular Tuesday night bingo session include a Buy One Trifecta game card, and Get One Free night on Tuesday, February 7^th. The Trifecta game is guarantee to pay out $750 to the winners.

The Vacaville H.S. Music Boosters Bingo volunteers will celebrate Valentine’s Day on Tuesday, February 14^th. A free Valentine’s goodies will be given out to the first 250 players to purchase their admission package for the evening session.

Again the $500 Win Again game will be played on Tuesday, February 21^st. Be sure to bring all your winning tickets that can be redeemed for Win Again game cards. End of the Month drawings will be held on Tuesday, February 28^th when drawings for cash and free bingo will be won by players attending the session.

All bingo games at each Vaca High Music Boosters session, with the exception of the PWC game are guaranteed to pay out $250 to the lucky winners. A Bonus Ball game played after each regular bingo game with the winner receiving up to an additional $250. It is just a buck to play Bonus Ball for the evening and a chance to win up to $250.

At press time, the progressive Lucky Bulldog jackpot was at $4,300 and continuing to grow by $100 each week it is not won. Three lucky players get a chance to pick the jackpot envelope each Tuesday. Also, the free Criss Cross game progressive jackpot was sitting at $1,500 as we went to press.

Players also enjoy several games of Tic Tac, Buck-A-Roo and Grand Slam games that are played prior to the start of the regular weekly sessions. Players may also join in and play the many Flashboard and popular Grand Slam games at each Tuesday evening session.

The Vaca Valley Bingo hall is located at 190 Bella Vista Road, at the East bound I-80 and Davis Street exit. The Vaca Valley Bingo hall features separate glass enclosed smoking and non smoking rooms and the full service snack bar. There is always free coffee for bingo players. A great snack bar is also open at 4:00 p.m. with hot dinner specials, side orders, desserts and soft drinks.

Doors open each Tuesday afternoon at 4 p.m. and the Early Birds start at 6:30 p.m. No electronic bingo machines are used a the Vaca Valley Bingo hall. For more information, call (707) 449-4646.

Free $500 game at Thursday Vanden Viking Bingo

VACAVILLE—There are lots of reasons to play bingo on Thursday nights with the Vanden H.S. Viking Bingo Boosters. The month of February will feature some great promotions for players throughout the month.

A Good Neighbor Night is scheduled to be played on Thursday, February 2^nd. $5 Good Neighbors will be paid out on single regular game bingo wins.

Then on Thursday, February 9^th, players will be treated to a free game that will pay the winners $500. And it gets even better on Thursday, February 16^th, all five special games will feature a prize payout of $300 each.

On the final Thursday of the month, February 23^rd, End of the Month drawings will be held for prizes of free bingo and cash. There will also be drawings for a Royal Court that will be added to the regular King and Queen drawings.

As we went to press, the free Surprise Bingo progressive jackpot having been won recently, was at $2,700 and the Punch Your Luck jackpot was up to $250. Three lucky players each week get a chance to punch for a cash prize.

Bingo admission packs include a pack of special game sheets and one set of Early Bird game sheets. There are no electronic bingo machines used at the Vaca Valley Bingo hall. Bonus Ball games are played after each regular pack game at all Vanden Viking Bingo sessions. You can add Bonus Ball play for just one dollar at the time of all admission purchases made prior to 6:30 p.m.

Doors open at 4:00 p.m. for all regularly scheduled Thursday night session at the Vaca Valley Bingo hall. Early Birds start at 6:30 p.m. Players enjoy separate glass-enclosed smoking and non-smoking rooms and hot dinner specials at the Bingo Café.

The Vaca Valley Bingo hall is located at 190 Bella Vista Road, just off I-80 at the Davis Street exit in Vacaville. For more information, call (707) 449-4646.

Win a new Camaro on Valentines Day at River Rock

GEYSERVILLE—On Saturday February 11^th, River Rock Casino players will celebrate Valentine’s Day early with the Valentine’s Car and Cash giveaway. Nine lucky winners will win $1,000 and one lucky guest will drive away in a brand new 2012 Chevy Camaro SS! Players start earning free entry tickets while playing in the casino on January 21^st.

Cash drawings will be held at 8:00, 9:00 and 10:00 p.m. Three lucky winners will receive $1,000 cash each and then at 11:00 p.m. one lucky winner will be awarded the 2012 Camaro!

River Rock Casino is Sonoma County’s 24-hour entertainment destination offering spectacular views of the Alexander Valley. The recently remodeled 62,000 square foot facility offers 1,300 state-of-the-art slot and video machines, including video poker and progressive jackpots.

Stay and play packages at River Rock Casino are also available and this winter and it’s a great time to visit the beautiful North Sonoma County area and a great area to enjoy the holidays.

River Rock Casino partners with local Inns and Wineries across the beautiful wine country to make getting away easier than ever, and even more affordable. Just give us a call.

The entertainment destination also provides several non-smoking gaming rooms for guests who prefer a smoke-free environment. River Rock Casino offers multiple amenities including restaurants, bars, live entertainment, and the historic and contemporary Pomo Tribe art collection. For more information, call (707) 857-2777 or visit www.riverrockcasino.com. And tell them you read about it in Bingo & Gaming News.

Lunar New Year starts February 4^th at River Rock Casino

GEYSERVILLE—Celebrate Chinese New Year and the Year of the Dragon with your friends and the staff at River Rock Casino on Saturday, February 4^th. Lion dancers will perform at 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m., and could give guests a Lucky Red envelope!

Everyone will want to stay for more cash giveaways in the $888 drawings at 7:00 p.m., 8:00 p.m. & 10:00 p.m.. And at 9:00 p.m. & 11:00 p.m. lucky players will be selected to pick until they win—up to $88,000 cash! Players receive one entry ticket for the drawing for every 500 tier points earned. Saturday, January 21^st through Saturday, February 4^th.

Stay and play packages at River Rock Casino are also available and this winter and it’s a great time to visit the beautiful North Sonoma County area and a great area to enjoy the holidays.

The casino partners with local Inns and Wineries across the beautiful wine country to make getting away easier than ever, and even more affordable. Just give us a call.

California Super Lotto

New pet could be best gift ever

A box of chocolates, $20. A bouquet of flowers, $50. A romantic dinner for two, $100. The forever love of a best friend, PRICELESS.

That's the valentine message from the Solano County Animal Shelter and its special adoption campaign. The "Won't You Be My Valentine?" pet adoption campaign runs Tuesday, Feb. 7, through Tuesday, Feb. 14.

Adoption fees will be cut in half for the week leading up to Valentine's Day. The temporarily reduced adoption fees for a dog will only be $47.50 and $40 for a cat.

For more details, call (707) 784-1356 or visit the Solano County Animal Shelter at 2510 Claybank Road in Fairfield. Hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday to Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. California Super Lotto.

Pace Bingo to host two Bingo Specials in February

VACAVILLE—The Pace Solano Bingo volunteers have announced they will host two Bingo Special sessions during February. The first will be held on the President’s Day holiday, Monday, February 20^th at the Vaca Valley Bingo hall.

The hall doors will open at 3:00 p.m. and the first game will be played starting at 6:00 p.m. Admission has been set at only $20 for the 25 game special and includes all players will need for the entire session. Admission includes two paper six-on game packs. Extra packs will be available and sold for just $5 each. There is nothing else that needs to be purchased for the session. Players will also enjoy 10 extra free drawings for $100 during the session.

The fun Warm-up bingo games will start at about 3:30 p.m. No Early Bird games played at the special session.

A second Bingo Special will be played on Leap Day, Wednesday, February 29^th. As with the holiday session, doors at the Vaca Valley Bingo hall will open at 3:00 p.m. and session play will start at 6:00 p.m.

The Leap Day Bingo Special will feature 25 games all paying out $250 to the winners. Admission has again been set at just $20 for two six-on paper game packs with extra packs available for only $5 each. No Early Birds or specials will be played during the session. However, players will be treated to two free games for $500.

Other special events for February will include a special Goodie Bag in honor of the Super Bowl on Sunday, February 4^th. Players attending the Pace Bingo session on Monday, February 6^th will receive a free pack of specials with their paid admission. Players will also receive a free pack of specials on Friday, February 17^th.

The fun In The Monitor Night will be held on Sunday, February 12^th and on Sunday, February 19^th, players will receive a free pack of Early Birds.

The first 200 players attending sessions on Friday, February 10^th and Monday, February 13^th will receive a free Buck-A-Roo game card. The Buck-A-Roo game pays the lucky winners $250.

A free game paying $500 will be played at the session scheduled for the session on Wednesday, February 8^th.

At each Friday Nite Owls session, players will have Double Chances to win the progressive Letter X game. Each player will receive two free game cards for the game that at press time, was at $7,200.

Double Chances to win the free progressive games will be offered to players attending both the Wednesday matinee and Wednesday evening sessions. At press time the Wednesday matinee Free U-Pick-It jackpot was sitting at $4,400 and the evening free Letter X progressive was at $2,400.

$5 Good Neighbors will be paid out at the Friday evening session, February 3^rd and again at the Wednesday evening session on February 22^nd.

At press time, the Pace The Friday evening free Letter X game progressive cash prize was at $700. Also at press time, the progressive Super Moola Match drawing was sitting at $6,700. On Mondays, the Pace Bingo volunteers play the popular Super X game; it is three parts and will pay out $1,400, $1,250 or $1,000 to the winners.

Players will also continue to enjoy the Winners Game at each Wednesday evening session in February. Each bingo game winner is given a free single face Winners game card and the $250 game is played the following week at the Wednesday evening session.

The free $200 Vaca Valley Bingo Hall Daub Card game will be played at the Pace Bingo sessions on Sunday, February 19^th and Monday, February 27^th. One week prior to each play date, players attending every Vaca Valley Bingo Hall session are given a free one-on Vaca Valley Bingo hall Daub Card game card with the play date stamped on the back of the game card.

The Pace Solano Bingo volunteers host six sessions of bingo each week at the Vaca Valley Bingo hall. On Sunday evening, the session starts at 5:30 p.m. On Monday evenings, the PACE Solano session starts at 6:30 p.m. with all games paying out $250 to the winners.

The volunteers return to the hall on Wednesday evening to host their evening session starting at 6:30 p.m. with the Early Bird games.

Each Friday evening the Pace Solano Bingo volunteers host the regular Friday evening session of bingo starting at 6:30 p.m. with the Early Bird games. At all regular sessions, each player receives a free Letter X progressive game card.

The Pace Friday Nite Owls session follows the regular evenings bingo at 10:45 p.m. All games pay out $250. When the Nite Owls buy-in is made prior to break time, a $5 discount is allowed.

Bonus Ball games are played after each regular pack game at all Pace Solano Bingo sessions, again with the exception of the Friday Nite Owl session. All players can join in and play the Bonus Ball games for just $1 additional at each session. All but one Bonus Ball jackpot, will pay out $250 to the winners who get a Bonus Ball match.

Free Vaca Valley Bingo Hall Frequent Player cards are available at all sessions at the Vaca Valley Bingo hall. Collect stamps from all sessions played at the hall and when you’ve collected ten stamps, you’ll receive an Express II buy-in on your next visit.

Pace Solano Bingo sessions are played at the Vaca Valley Bingo hall, 190 Bella Vista Road, just off the I-80 Davis Street Exit in Vacaville. For more information, call (707) 449-4646.

Skimmer credit card reader fraud

According to David Einstein of the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper, in the vast majority of fraud cases involving card readers, a "skimmer" is attached to the reader, replacing the card slot or swiper. The skimmer doesn’t interfere with the operation of the reader, but it records information such as card and PINs. The data thief later removes the skimmer, downloads the information and gets access to the card accounts. If a debit card is involved, cardholders could see their balance quickly fall.

The recent setup at Lucky stores in Northern California, apparently was more sophisticated. "According to law enforcement officials, the scam relied on wireless technology that enabled perpetrators to remotely retrieve credit/debit card data," Lucky states on its website. The company says it first learned of the tampering when a routine inspection of card readers turned up one that "looked suspicious." That implies a skimmer was involved - albeit a wireless one.

How could tampering take place at two dozen Lucky stores without so much as a raised eyebrow from store staffers or shoppers? A couple of possibilities come to mind: The crime could have been an inside job involving Lucky employees, or the card readers could have been altered by thieves posing as maintenance personnel sent to service the machines.

If Lucky can fall prey to such a scam, other stores with similar card readers also could be vulnerable. Let’s hope the companies that make card readers figure out how to make them tamper-proof. For the time being, the best thing you can do is pay attention to the appearance of the card readers at ATMs, gas stations and stores that you frequent, and report any reader that looks unusual. California Super Lotto.

$11 Million SuperLotto Plus^® ticket sold in San Lorenzo

SACRAMENTO—A lucky player in San Lorenzo (Alameda County) started the New Year right after matching all six numbers in the January 7^th SuperLotto Plus draw. The ticket is worth an estimated $11 million and is the first California Lottery jackpot hit in 2012.

The winning ticket was sold at Kavanagh Liquors in San Lorenzo. The winning numbers were 35, 16, 2, 5, 31 and Mega 14. Jackpot winners have 180 days from the date of the draw to claim the jackpot prize. The estimated cash option amount for this ticket is $7.9 million.

If you are the winner, the Lottery wants to remind you to sign your ticket, put it in a safe place and contact Lottery officials or visit your local Lottery District Office as soon as possible. You an order all of the winning California 6-51/Super Lotto numbers from the very beginning in December , 1991 for $25.95. See: California Super Lotto.

History of Lottery in America

Lotteries are not a modern, or American, invention. Scholars disagree on the origin of lotteries, but forms of lotteries date back to the time of Caesar, before Christ. There are references to lotteries in the bible. From 100 B.C. through the 17^th century, China and European countries used lotteries to finance defense (like the Great Wall in China); fund armies; build chapels, almshouses, canals and port facilities; and to replenish royal treasuries.

In America, Lotteries served an important function in the early development of the country through the Civil War. The first permanent English colony in America, Jamestown, was funded by a lottery started in London by James the First. Many of America's founding fathers played and sponsored lotteries. Benjamin Franklin used lotteries to finance cannons for the Revolutionary War. George Washington operated a lottery to fund construction of the Mountain Road that opened westward expansion from Virginia. John Hancock operated a lottery to rebuild historic Faneuil Hall.

In the United States, lotteries were most active during the period following the adoption of the Constitution and before the establishment of an effective means of local taxation. Prior to 1790, America had only three incorporated banks; thus, lotteries served as established sources of public and private financing.

From 1790 until the lottery prohibition movement succeeded, Lotteries established and funded numerous civic improvements and educational institutions. Fifty colleges, 300 schools and 200 churches were erected with Lottery proceeds. These include some of our most prestigious educational institutions, such as Harvard, Yale, Princeton and Columbia. Between 1790 and 1860, 24 of the 33 states financed hospitals, orphanages, libraries, courthouses, and jails through lotteries.

Between 1820 and 1878, corruption in privately operated lotteries became rampant. Governments found themselves unable to regulate these lotteries and began lottery prohibition. By 1878, all states except Louisiana prohibited lotteries, either by statute or constitutional provision. In 1905, the United States Supreme Court reaffirmed the states' authority to control gambling. For the next 60 years, no state was directly involved in the operation of a gaming enterprise, and lotteries were prohibited.

In 1930, the Irish Sweepstakes was launched with great success in America because of the abolition of lotteries. In 1964, New Hampshire created a state lottery, the first legal American lottery in this century. Within several years, New Hampshire was followed by New York and New Jersey. In 1971, nationwide lottery sales surpassed $100 million for the first time.

On November 8, 1988 Indiana voters approved a lottery referendum by a strong majority, 62 percent. On May 3, 1989, the Indiana General Assembly ratified the Lottery Act and, a week later, Governor Evan Bayh signed the Lottery Act into law. In June, Jack Crawford became the first Lottery Director. The Lottery Commission was appointed a month later.

Three months after the creation of the first Commission, the Hoosier Lottery was in full operation. On October 13, 1989, instant, or scratch-off, ticket sales began at 12:10 p.m. On the first day alone, 8.19 million tickets were sold. By the following week, first week sales exceeded $21.8 million.

On October 28, 1989, the Hoosier Millionaire show debuted on WTTV-4 in Indianapolis and on its 10 station network. By mid-November, first month sales exceeded $61 million. The Lottery immediately repaid the state of Indiana more than $6 million in startup costs, plus interest. Within another three weeks ticket sales reached $100 million.

On March 15, 1990, Governor Bayh accepted $73 million from the Hoosier Lottery for tax relief.

April 30, 1990, the Hoosier Lottery began its first on-line game, Lotto Cash. On May 5, The first Lotto Cash drawing took place. One month later, Kurt and Teresa Voskuhl won $6 million for the first Lotto Cash jackpot. In July of that year, the Lottery introduced Daily 3 and Daily 4 games. August saw the unveiling of the Dream Machine, the Lottery's "mobile ambassador," a bright red Hoosier Lottery bus that travels around the state participating in special Lottery events. In October, Indiana joined the Lotto*America game (which later became Powerball).

By March 1991, the Hoosier Lottery ranked sixth in instant ticket sales among the 33 state lotteries. The Lottery's game show, the Hoosier Millionaire, gave away more money in prizes than any other game show in the country. By the end of 1991, the Hoosier Lottery topped $1 billion in sales.

In April 1992, Lotto America changed to the Powerball game. Indiana led the United States in Powerball sales after two weeks. Indiana resident, Bert Morlan, became the first Powerball winner, beating players in 15 participating states. The Lottery reached its 99th and 100th millionaires in the Lotto Cash drawing. The first bar-coded Scratch-Off Tickets, Cash Crop, Draw Poker and 3 Times Lucky, began. In December, entry onto the Hoosier Millionaire game show was changed: winning entries were now generated on every 50th dollar of sales, instead of every 50th transaction.

In January 1993, Nelson Oles pulled his own entry ticket in the drawing, and made a repeat appearance on the Hoosier Millionaire show. He was the third repeat contestant. The Hoosier Lottery introduced its fifth on-line game, Lucky 5.

In February 1994, the Hoosier Bingo instant game began. In September, Hoosier Lotto replaced Lotto Cash. Hoosier Lotto was designed to have more winners and bigger jackpots, and it offered the only "match two of six" prize in a pick-six game in North America. The game's first drawing, on September 24th produced 112 times more winners than the final Lotto Cash drawing. On September 19-24, the Hoosier Lottery hosted the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL) convention in Indianapolis. The economic impact of the conference was estimated at more than $600,000.

In October 1994, the Hoosier Lottery sold its first $5 instant ticket to commemorate the Lottery's fifth birthday. Other birthday celebrations included transfers to the state of $708 million, ticket sales totaling over $2.4 billion and player prize payouts of over $1.3 billion since the Hoosier Lottery's inception. In fiscal year 1994, the Hoosier Lottery averaged 1,000 major winners ($500 or more) every month.

In March 1995, Indiana led all Powerball states with a $9.1 million winner and seven $100,000 winners in the March 4th drawing. By April, transfers to the state topped $800 million. In May, the Lottery launched its informational campaign designed to let Hoosiers know that more than $100 million in Lottery profits would be used in 1996 to reduce license plate excise taxes. In June, the Lottery recognized a Hoosier entertainment tradition by inaugurating Instant Euchre, the world's first lottery game to use suit and trump.

In August 1995, the Lucky 5 game was expanded from two to five nights per week. The Hoosier Lotto now offered a 25-year annuity as a prize payment option. In November, the Hoosier Lottery awarded a new media contract to WNDY-TV in Indianapolis to broadcast the Hoosier Millionaire show. In December, Indiana had the first quintuple $100,000 Powerball ticket sold in the 21 participating states.

In February 1996, the Hoosier Lottery unveiled a fresh look for the Hoosier Millionaire game show. Later in February, the Lottery held the first Lucky 5 second-chance drawing, allowing players to win $70,000 in one drawing and $500 in prize drawings held later in March. In April, the Hoosier Lottery presented Lucky For Life 1, the first instant ticket that offered a prize for life ($1000 per month for the winner's lifetime). In August, Frederick Leo O'Connor of Indianapolis hit the Lucky 5 jackpot four times and received $200,000. Lucky 5 was expanded again, to seven nights a week.

In March 1997, the Hoosier Lottery introduced the Tax Free Million instant game offering a top prized of $1 million with the federal taxes paid for by the Hoosier Lottery (The state of Indiana does not impose taxes on Hoosier Lottery winnings.) The Hoosier Lottery launched its first Web page on the Internet at www.hoosierlottery.com. In June, the Lottery introduced a new multi-state game, Daily Millions. In November, the multi-state Powerball game made changes to allow a choice between cash or annuity options, and larger prizes in lower levels.

In February 1998, the Hoosier Lotto game was expanded from one drawing on Saturday to two drawings conducted on both Wednesday and Saturday. The first $10 instant ticket, 2 Million In Cash, went on sale in late February. In March, the Multi-State Lottery dropped the Daily Millions game and began the Cash4Life game, the first multi-state game to offer a lifetime prize. In August, a Powerball ticket sold in Richmond, Indiana to a group of co-workers pooling their money was validated for $295.7 million, the largest North American jackpot.

In June 1999, David and Elaine Pearson claimed the largest Hoosier Lotto jackpot ever, $42 million. They decided to accept the cash option of $26.2 million, and took home $16.3 million after Federal taxes were deducted. In August, the Hoosier Lotto jackpot was split by three winning tickets for the first time. William Hutchison of LaPorte, Robert Hagberg of Ligonier and Dale Gaddy and Olav Haug of Indianapolis split the $10.5 million prize. In October, WB4 is selected as the new television station for the Hoosier Millionaireshow and the nightly Lottery drawings. WB4 began Lottery productions in early 2000. On October 13, 1999, the Hoosier Lottery celebrated its 10th anniversary with gala events held across Indiana. You an order all of the winning California 6-51/Super Lotto numbers from the very beginning in December , 1991 for $25.95. See: California Super Lotto.

Milpitas MEGA Millions^® ticket wins nearly $200,000

SACRAMENTO—Someone in Milpitas woke up on the right side of the a few mornings ago. That’s because he or she has an extra $197,753 in their pocket after successfully matching five numbers in last night’s MEGA Millions draw on Friday, January 6^th.

The winning ticket was sold at Lucky Supermarkets, which is located at 1350 Park Victoria Drive. The ticket matched the numbers 34, 28, 9, 48 and 17, missing only the Mega number of 46.

The California Lottery reminds winners to sign the back of their ticket, keep tickets in a safe place and contact Lottery officials or visit their local Lottery District Office as soon as possible. Winners have 180 days from the date of the draw to claim prizes.

MEGA Millions is a multistate game, played in California and 43 other jurisdictions (41 states plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands). Players pick five numbers from 1 to 56 plus a Mega number from 1 to 46.

Draw times are Tuesdays and Fridays at 8:00 p.m. PST. Tickets are $1 and can be purchased from any of the more than 21,000 California Lottery retailers. You an order all of the winning California 6-51/Super Lotto numbers from the very beginning in December , 1991 for $25.95. See: California Super Lotto.

Boom in Internet gambling ahead?

SACRAMENTO—According to reports in the Wall Street Journal and the Christian Science Monitor newspapers, the U.S. Justice Department handed out a Christmas present for the Internet gaming industry. On Tuesday, December 27^th the U.S. Justice Department reversed a longtime view that online poker and lottery wagering is illegal. With the move, many states are expected to engage in a high-stakes pursuit of new gambling-related tax revenues.

Cash-strapped states betting on new online poker and lottery revenues won a major victory with a recent Department of Justice announcement that it is reversing its interpretation of the federal 1961 Wire Act, clearing the way for a potential boom in online gambling.

Until now, the Justice Department had held that the Wire Act makes even intrastate online gambling illegal. Its new interpretation, written by Justice Department attorneys in response to requests for clarification from New York and Illinois, concluded that the law instead specifically outlaws such wagering on sports, not nonsports gambling within states or even across state borders.

"The ordinary meaning of the phrase ‘sporting event or contest’ does not encompass lotteries," wrote Assistant Attorney General Virginia Seitz. "Accordingly, we conclude that the proposed lotteries are not within the prohibitions of the Wire Act."

With global online gambling now worth an estimated $30 billion, and with online poker worth a potential $6 billion annually in the U.S., some are heralding the decision as a means for financially strapped states to leverage new revenue from legalized online gambling – and stave off at least some cuts to bureaucracies, entitlements, and public employee pension systems.

But gambling critics see the move as another major crack in America’s moral foundation, opening the way for states to become further dependent upon tax revenues gained from a form of recreation that hits hardest those who can least afford it. In that light, the new U.S. stance may prompt Congress to enact laws aimed at helping to curb addiction and to prevent children from becoming involved in online gambling, even while allowing "casual" gamblers more options and opportunities to play. So far, Congress has folded on a handful of proposed Internet gambling measures.

"The United States Department of Justice has given the online gaming community a big, big present," writes I. Nelson Rose, a Whittier Law School professor who blogs at gamblingandthelaw.com. "My bet is that … Congress will continue to do nothing, while Internet gambling explodes across the nation, made legal under state laws."

The U.S. has outlawed online "real money" poker since 2006, and in April the Justice Department charged three major online operators with fraud and money laundering for disguising bets as every-day credit-card payments.

In a letter accompanying its announcement on December 23^rd, the Justice Department noted that the new interpretation of law "will not undermine the Department’s efforts to prosecute organized criminal networks. The significant majority of our current and past prosecutions concerning Internet gambling involve cases where the gambling activity is part of a larger criminal scheme." You an order all of the winning California 6-51/Super Lotto numbers from the very beginning in December , 1991 for $25.95. See: California Super Lotto.