Calls to Boycott Kentucky Gambling

It's the biggest news since Barney Frank introduced the PSPA, but this time the news is bleak for residents of the State of Kentucky. Governor Steve Beshear, a noted opponent of 'illegal' online gambling activities has met fearsome resistance from multiple gambling bodies. What was intended to be a quick state seizure of 141 gambling domains has turned into a potential nightmare that will be the governor's legacy.

Judge Thomas Wingate has refused to back down on the issue and now the Online Casino Advisory - a prominent gambling news site - has issued calls for a boycott of all gambling in Kentucky. It's not just any call for a boycott, it's a boycott of everything gambling related that produces Kentucky tax revenue.

Crisis approaching
The Casino Advisory wants to hurt the state's income stream and to do this they are calling for residents of Kentucky to make their cigarettes, alcohol and groceries purchases across state lines. They want to apply significant pressure on the governor's office to overturn what they consider a witch-hunt against online gambling. The problem is in the perceived duplicity of Beshear's office. If they are against gambling because of its harmful effects on children then why are they targeting only online gambling? It appears the only reasons are because online gambling doesn't yield tax revenues and it competes with lucrative horse racing.

With punters able to place wagers on horse racing through the Churchill Downs' online portal, it appears somewhat misplaced of Beshear to trumpet the 'anti-gambling' card. It is felt by many that the Kentucky legislature is infringing on the rights of its residents and of free trade. Perhaps it's the political muscle of an entrenched horse-racing industry that's weighing hard on the governor's mind.