Kentucky Online Gambling Domain Case Resumes Next Week

The online gambling domain name case that has drawn attention from all across the US is reaching the top court in the state next week. The Kentucky Supreme Court will begin hearing arguments on why the online sites feel they were unjustly targeted.

Governor Steve Beshear has sent mixed signals on his Internet gambling stance since taking office. He has gone after certain sites, 141 of them in all, yet he has also endorsed Internet gambling for race tracks in the state.

The seizures have become a hot topic throughout the world. An appeals court has ruled that the state did not have the authority to seize the domain names back in January. Now, it will be up to the Supreme Court to set a precedent that could have a ripple effect through other states in the US.

The Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association has been heavily involved in defending the online gambling sites, and their lawyers will again be at the forefront next Thursday. They will try to convince the Supreme Court that there is no legal precedent for the state being allowed to seize the names.

"Since there is no law as to how to approach this, the Governor and his attorneys went out and came up with a process of their own," said iMEGA Chairman Joe Brennan, to Poker News daily, "They never named who was being served and basically asked people to come to court and identify themselves."

The legal battle in Kentucky comes at a time when the US government is in the process of attempting to change their online gambling laws. Representative Barney Frank has proposed legislation that would overturn the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act and lay the groundwork for a regulated Internet gambling industry in the country.

October 18, 2009
Posted By Larry Rutherford
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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