Online Casino Gambling New Kentucky "Signature Industry"

The heart of Kentucky horse racing, and the symbol of what Governor Steve Beshear seeks to protect with his ongoing court case against online casinos, is diversifying to expand its casino and Internet gambling operations. Churchill Downs Incorporated is moving to decrease its dependence on racing and focus on growth through online wagering and casino gambling.

Beshear famously spoke of the need he saw to attempt to seize 141 Internet casino domain names by saying the move protected "Kentucky's signature industry," horse racing. But continued abandonment of state tracks by both gamblers and horse owners has apparently led the operators of the world's most famous track to think if ya can't beat'em, join 'em.

Meanwhile, the protectionist policies of both Kentucky and the US take another blow, as horse racing blends with online gambling to the point that argument to the effect that there is a significant difference between the two seems foolish.

Foreign competitors asking why horse race betting online is permitted while online casinos are not will see their legal battles made easier by the new business plan at Churchill.

The move involves a shuffling of corporate officers to create a new subsidiary controlling casino and Internet interests. Defense lawyers seeking to repudiate Kentucky's claim to the online gambling site domain names, representatives of Antigua and officials from the European Commission all will see this adjustment by Churchill Downs as a strengthening of their cases.