Kentucky Spreads Internet Gambling as Case Goes to Supreme Court
Kentucky's case to seize the domain names of 141 online casinos will be heard by the state Supreme Court in June. Meanwhile, Internet gambling inside the state grows with the implicit approval of law enforcement.
Online gambling on horse racing is not excused by statute from the unwieldy definition of domain names as "gambling devices," but the practice as been excluded from action by Governor Steve Beshear. While attacking the evils of Internet wagering, Beshear conveniently forgot to notice the online gambling that is taking place at Twin Spires.com, a site owned by Churchill Downs.
Now, both TwinSpires and Youbet.com have announced they have signed deals with Churchill Downs to take bets on the spring meet at the racetrack, accepting wagers on the Internet. Both sites will take gambling plays from other states and bring revenue to Kentucky while paying no taxes in other jurisdictions, precisely the complaint advanced by the governor against online casinos.
"The Churchill Downs Spring Meet, and especially the Kentucky Derby, is a perfect complement to the abundance of global content Youbet has added this year alone,” says Michael Brodsky, CEO of Youbet.com. Youbet didn't address how it would defend itself from a Kentucky-style forfeiture case from a region it will offer racing to.
“Taking care of our customers and making it convenient for them to access our content are among the top priorities of Churchill Downs,” stated Kevin Flanery, Senior Vice President of Churchill Downs.
Neither official commented on the irony of increasing online gambling opportunities across state and national boundaries, exactly the cause for the state's case against the Internet casinos. In a state that prizes horse racing, blinders appear to be the political choice of clothing.
