September 23, 2008 -- (WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) -- The state of Kentucky has launched a civil case against 141 online gambling domains including sportsbook.com and pokerstars.com, accusing them of illegal gambling activity within the state.
According to Lexington Herald-Leader newspaper reports, Judge Thomas Wingate ordered the names transferred to the state last week, Governor Steve Beshear announced Monday. The domain names will be in the possession of Kentucky officials if a September 25 forfeiture hearing rules in the government's favor, letting it tell registrars to effectively shutdown the sites.
If successful, Kentucky will set a precedent in aggressively eradicating online gambling websites, which are illegal in the US. Most online gambing websites, however, are hosted overseas, where US courts have no jurisdiction.
According to documents submitted to court last week, reasonable grounds were established for the domains to be seized and forfeited, and the domain owners have until Thursday to defend themselves.
Governor Beshear has said online gambling "leeches on our communities," while still maintaining that state-condoned gambling at casinos and horse races should be legal.
Of course sate-condoned gambling should be legal; it doesn't leech any communities. Yeah right. I, and everyone I forwarded this to, thought that Kentucky was going to try some form of online lottery.
Did you look at those sites mentioned? They're not even in the U.S. Kentucky is clearly overstepping its boundaries.
posted by: Jeff | September 24, 2008 11:07PM
