Kentucky Seizes 141 Gambling Domains

2008 September 22
by Michael Berkens

The commonwealth  of Kentucky issued a seizure order on September 18, ordering  141 domains be taken from their registrants.

order-of-seizure-of-domain-names (adobe Reader Required)

“”The Domain names shall be immediately transferred by their respective registrars to an account of the Commonwealth of Kentucky “”.

The seizure was taken after the Commonwealth found that the “domains were being used in connection with illegal gambling activity”.

However some of these domains are simply parked domains not sites taking bets.

The domains seized include: (the full list is on the adobe file)

fulltiltpoker.com

indiancasino.com

bet21.com

allslots.com

bodoglife.com

bookmaker.com

SportsBook.com

SportsBetting.com

superslots.com

pokerstars.com

doylesroom.com

GoldenPalace.com

As far as I can tell, no notice of this action was given to any of the registrants, nor was any hearing held giving the registrants an opportunity to appear

The order does talk about the court holding a hearing sometime in September to for registrants who want to claim there domain  “qualifies for return”

Obviously a very scary tactic taken by one state.

Another reason you might want to consider moving your domains to a registrar outside of the US, as this order is to the registrars of the domains, not the central registry.

Whether this move can stand legal challenge is highly questionable.

The order did state that the “domain configurations shall remain unchanged”, so the domains should continue to resolve to the registrant’s sites.  This may be an attempt to greatly limit the commonwealth damages in the event this “order” is overturned.

What is another state decided tommorow to seize adult domains, because they contained illegal obsence material?

This will not cause the registrants to hire legal representation, go to Kentucky and try to get their property back.

154 Responses leave one →
  1. 2008 September 29

    that what it says:

    BullShitWebsites- websites(humans too) that provide useless info or trying to sell you something that you don’t need and wanting your money and more money!!! Is your website the BullShitWebsite?

    All ( 99.999% )websites fall in that criteria!!!

  2. 2008 September 29

    Who says all the neanderthals are extinct?

  3. 2008 October 15

    All US registrars are a waste of time and will not speak… wasz recomended this link by several IMEGA memebers, http://www.safenames.net/gamingwebsites.aspx, gave them a call, UK Registrar, governed by UK legislation, Fulltiltpoker, Bodog and many more use them and transferred to them all my domains that are not on the Kentucky list, Godaddy and Netsol have locked my domains so i am playing follow the leader here. Got em all protected at Safenames and I see that eceryone is registering .eu domains with these guys with a proxy service. This is not the endbut the beginning, if several states get together then it will become a federal matter so good bye USA and hello England. Let me know if anyone comes up with any more suggestions.

  4. 2008 October 15
    MHB permalink

    Mad

    We moved all our domains to a ICANN approved registry in the Bahamas.

    We believe it is the only true “offshore” solution.

    Check it out:

    http://wwwNameVault.com

  5. 2009 January 20
    MHB permalink

    UPDATE

    The Kentucky Court of Appeals Overturned the Domain Seizure Order today

    You can read more about it at:

    http://www.thedomains.com/2009/01/20/kentucky-appeals-court-overturns-the-domain-seizure-order/

  6. 2009 June 6
    Rick permalink

    Until now only the very popular USA casinos have been taken by the Kentucky government only to support their local gambling. Internet Freedom is in the hands of a local state?

  7. 2009 November 25
    pitbullstew permalink

    I guess some of you guys dont get it? gvt has an interest in keeping society sfae from your industries conduct> be that inter net gambling, gambling by the way is highlky regulated all across the land you know? Why even the FDA has gotten in on the act over PHARMA issues, if BIG PHARMA has to play by the regulatory rules why, pray tell does any one ever think that the rest of you arent under the same pervue as the rest of us?
    Now I do understand that many are operating under some sort of personal ethics standards, though its hard to tell whois-who?
    (pun unitended)

  8. 2010 April 3

    Really, really thx for good information. ;)

  9. 2010 June 4

    Great articles & a Nice site…. I am always searching online for articles that can help me. Thank you

  10. 2010 June 7

    A very bad news for online gamblers. But don’t worry guys, more are moving in.

  11. 2010 June 18

    I think this particular anesthetic and all the authorities powers before the Supreme Court supported the validity domainers can make abstraction to get to the geo domain. Area as a “secret asset” is already used. “Those sites that are ripe, but the fundamental geo domains for just compensation to the place” be?

  12. 2010 June 19

    Those operators are hiding behind their lawyers

  13. 2010 June 20

    If most of these USA faced casinos could buy their domain back I probably think they would take them back for millions

  14. 2010 July 10

    Have there been taken any rival gaming website? I can not see that a rival casino has been blocked or redirected.

  15. 2010 July 15

    I agree. They are hiding behind their attorneys

  16. 2011 January 4

    How about important domain? I believe it will only be a matter of time before the Supreme Court-backed powers of local and state government could force domainers to give up geo domains. Domain as “private property” is already established. “Just compensation” will be high for those sites that are developed but what about the undeveloped geo domains?

  17. 2011 January 4
    MHB permalink

    We have discussed that possibility and could happen in the future

  18. 2011 June 2

    Well I actually thought it has something to do with KFC but just recently there has been some big poker site being taken down.

  19. 2011 October 23

    I hope for the UK the online gambling sites will remain untouched.

  20. 2012 February 22

    Has GoldenCasino.com been confiscated too ?

  21. 2012 April 7

    Has there been a similar case for Australia or New Zealand ?

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