September 26, 2008 -- (WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) -- At least two domains have been seized by Kentucky after the state launched a court case against 141 online gambling domains last week, accusing them of illegal gambling activity.
According to Kentucky court representatives quoted by national media, highrollerslounge.com and luckypyramidcasino.com have been taken over by the state by default because the online casinos did not launch defenses. Rulings for the other 139 companies have not been made public; however, if they are found guilty of illegal activity, they will be similarly shut down.
The Kentucky court's actions are being called a violation of free speech by many commentators in Kentucky and beyond because implications could be far reaching. If a state can take over domain names from owners it paves the way for similar actions waged against the domain names of companies in other industries.
While Kentucky is known for its horse betting at such events as the Kentucky Derby and has several casinos, gambling websites in the state and throughout the US are illegal. Most online gambling websites, however, are hosted overseas, where it may be legal, but states will be able to take the websites offline nonetheless.
