Kentucky Wants To Seizes Gambling Websites

Online gamblers in Kentucky will not be able to access some online casinos and poker sites because of a legal fight being led by the state's governor. Some online casino operators have begun blocking access to state residents a week after officials filed the lawsuit to seize the domain names of any online sites that continue to allow Kentucky residents to gamble online.

Last week Gov. Steve Beshear, who based his election campaign last year on a promise to open casinos in Kentucky, asked a judge to cut off access to 141 gambling Web sites by giving Kentucky control of the domain names. The move affects some of the world's most popular gambling sites including many of the online poker sites.

This prompted the Poker Players Alliance to file for a full review of this case, including arguments from both sides. Until this point, the state and its hired gun class-action attorneys have acted in an ex parte fashion - only presenting one side of the argument to the court. The continuance granted today will ensure all the cards are on the table and allow the current owners of the domain names of the 141 websites to retain ownership in the interim.