Attorney General's News Release

Jan. 29, 1998

Judge issues TRO to stop Internet lottery in Missouri

Jefferson City, Mo. — Attorney General Jay Nixon today obtained a temporary restraining order to stop officials of the Coeur d'Alene Indian tribe and two businesses from offering and promoting online lottery gambling in Missouri.

Madison County Circuit Judge Stanley J. Murphy issued the order against tribal officials; UniStar Entertainment, the business which manages the tribe's website; and Executone, the parent company of UniStar.

Nixon's lawsuit alleged that a teen-ager, acting under the direction of the Attorney General's Office, opened an account on the tribe's website and participated in several lottery gambling games. Those games included a new online lottery touted last week by officials of the tribe and UniStar at a news conference and through news releases.

"Tribal and company officials specifically invited Missourians to participate in these gambling games," Nixon said. "The games being offered on this site clearly are illegal in Missouri. The fact that a minor can participate in this online gambling, without any significant hurdles, demonstrates how unregulated these games are, and we have asked the court to stop tribal officials and these companies from offering this gambling."

The temporary restraining order prohibits the defendants from offering any illegal gambling in Missouri. The order also prohibits them from representing that the online lottery games are legal in Missouri, or from concealing the fact that they are illegal.

"Online gambling businesses need to stop telling Missourians that it is legal to market or operate these games in this state," Nixon said. "Consumers, too, should remember that there are no safeguards to assure fairness and appropriate regulation when they gamble on the Internet."

Nixon also announced today that he will be appealing a federal district court ruling on the scope of the Coeur d'Alene tribe's immunity from Missouri law. The ruling stemmed from a similar lawsuit filed by Nixon against the tribe last year.

Inquiries from consumers should be directed to consumer@ago.mo.gov or 1-800-392-8222 (from within Missouri) or 573-751-3321 (outside Missouri).

All media inquiries should be directed to Press Secretary John Fougere.

E-mail      Phone: 573-751-8844         Fax: 573-751-5818