Kentucky Crosses the Gaming Line

The case
Online gambling faces an uphill battle in Kentucky as Governor Steve Beshear pushes for a statewide seizure of 141 online gambling sites which allow Kentucky IP addresses to access their sites. Franklin County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Wingate now awaits the testimony of the online gambling companies.

Tax revenue
With horse racing and bingo revenue at the forefront of his mind, Governor Beshear is eager to lock out illegal gambling sites from taking a sizeable chunk out of legal gambling activities. With no incoming tax revenues from the 141 illegal online gambling sites, the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet references state law banning illegal gambling devices.

Union
Advocates of online gambling are gathering en masse in an unusual show of unity against the Kentucky seizure efforts. Online operators feel that the state is overstepping its authority and is in violation of constitutional due process rights. They say it's a federal interstate commerce issue. In addition they are claiming that the state is intervening to monopolize the gambling industry, by stopping competition. President of the Kentucky chapter of the PPA (Poker Players Alliance), Rich Muny said, "We're going to fight this one strongly."