Following the order from Kentucky Circuit Court Judge Thomas Wingate, poker networks have begun to block visitors from the Kentucky area.
The order upheld the seizure of 141 online poker and internet gambling sites to the Commonwealth of Kentucky, except when the site owners were able to demonstrate to the court that their site blocks traffic to Kentucky residents. Sites were given until November 17th to comply with the order.
The judge did not order any fine to be paid to the state by sites that did not comply.
Since the ruling, many sites have decided to block access to users from Kentucky, even if their domains were not included in the list put forward by Kentucky Governor Beshear. This means that some networks will be blocking access to their poker and casino related products to residents of 13 US states, including Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin and Utah.
A spokesman for the Poker Players Alliance said: “Clearly we believe the judge in this case got it wrong. First of all, we strongly disagree with Judge Wingate’s ruling that poker is not a game of skill. As demonstrated in the amicus brief we filed, skill plays an essential role in being a successful poker player. Additionally, we believe that by confirming Governor Beshear’s actions, the court has set a dangerous precedent for censorship of the Internet. Today’s ruling is a big step backward for both personal rights and Internet freedom.”
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