Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear has targeted some of the leading American online bingo sites as part of his anti-gambling stance.
A court order to sieze the domain names of 141 gambling websites which he called “illegal and unregulated” was issued in late September and today a court heard arguments about whether his actions were justified or legal.
The Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet said access to online gambling sites should be blocked, citing a state law that bans “illegal gambling devices.” The state plans to sieze the domain names and then offer them up for sale, apparently.
Domains targeted in the action include usabingo.com, bingoknights.com, winabingo.com and bingoworkz.com, as well as some of the leading poker site such as pokerstars.com, fulltiltpoker.com and ultimatebet.com and leading sports betting sites such as sportsbook.com, and www.sportsbetting.com. Casino sites were also part of the list, including internet giant Golden Palace casino.
A host of attorneys representing top online gambling firms turned up in Frankfort, Kentucky to explain to Judge Wingate why the domains should not be taken. Most argued that Kentucky has no specific laws banning online gambling – and that it even promotes an online horseracing betting site called TwinSpires.com – and that the Kentucky court has no jurisdiction over domain names.
