After Online Casinos, Kentucky to Block Interstate Roads Next?
Kentucky's Governor, Steve Beshear, is in the process of pursuing legal action against 141 Internet gambling sites. Beshear has hired private lawyers to file for forfeiture of the sites' domain names. The governor's complaint alleges the online casinos are involved in gambling which is drawing money from the Bluegrass State, and that the domain names are "gambling devices" which allow Kentucky citizens to participate in this illegal activity.The case was shockingly upheld by Judge Thomas Wingate. The many appeals are due to be heard before the Kentucky Court of Appeals this Friday, December 12th. Among the grounds on which attorneys for the casinos, as well as advocates for free speech and an uncensored Internet, dispute the case are a lack of either jurisdiction or constitutionality.
Still, the case may be upheld by the appellate court, which may embolden Beshear to expand his new tactics. As Kentucky horsemen are saying new racinos in Indiana and Pennsylvania are drawing patrons from Kentucky, Beshear is certain to devise a plan to stop this undesirable desertion by his own residents.
Considering the reason gamblers are going to the out-of-state tracks is the attraction of slots and video games at the tracks in neighboring states, Beshear must be appalled at this illegal gambling which is injuring "Kentucky's signature industry", horse racing. Never mind that slots are legal in those states; they are not in Kentucky.
Furthermore, using roads to get to those tracks means those roads are now "gambling devices." As such, Beshear must consider closing the roads and blocking traffic leaving the state.
After all, neither jurisdiction nor the intended meaning of gambling devices will stop Steve Beshear. Roads, like domain names, are a necessary tool to access the gambling hurting Kentucky. Just wait until Beshear finds out about the coming cell phone boom in mobile gaming!
