The United States Department of Justice (DoJ) has filed for a two-week extension to the lawsuit by the Interactive Media Entertainment & Gaming Association (iMEGA) against U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales that seeks to prevent enforcement of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), the legislation last fall that made transactions illegal between US residents and online poker and online gambling sites, and gave carve outs to special-interest groups such as horseracing, fantasy sports betting, and lotteries. The lawsuit, originally filed 5 June 2007 on behalf of iMEGA by attorney and spokesman Joe Brennan, claims that UIGEA infringes upon basic constitutional rights and sets a dangerous precedent restricting I-commerce. The DoJ requested the 2 week extension presumably to prepare its response. The documents requested the delay were filed by the DoJ on behalf of itself and the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, who are all co-defendants named in the pending iMEGA vs. Gonzales case. The original hearing was scheduled for September 4 in a New Jersey federal court, but will now be rescheduled to a later date. If the court rules favorably on the case, iMEGA hopes it will block enforcement of the UIGEA, whose regulations still remain unpublished despite passage of the 270 days originally slated for regulations to be announced
