Online Casino and Gambling News: January 2009

The failed attempt by the state of Kentucky to seize and confiscate 141 international domain names looks set to stay in the headlines. Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear's staff lodged an appeal this week against the successful iMEGA and IGC appeal which overturned a lower court's order supporting the Governor's unprecedented action.

Mobile gambling technology provider Spin3 has raised the mobile stakes by becoming the first to supply web-based mobile casino games playable on the groundbreaking Android G1, one of the most talked about mobile phones in the industry. The web-based games, which include Microgaming's top quality Blackjack and Roulette, the progressive play slot game Major Millions and the popular Tomb Raider, eliminate the need to download and install games and enable users to play instantly.

Media reports in Europe indicate a rising tide of suspicion and indignation among European betting groups at the possibility of German state-dominated lottery operators extending their reach with a "pan-European" venture that will offer multi-million Euro prizes competitive with Euro Millions.

In a shock reprise of a Scandinavian move to tax online gamblers some time back, the Dutch taxman has reportedly been approaching poker players resident in Holland who thought they enjoyed Internet anonymity, inviting them to complete tax returns, and providing them with details of Dutch tax law.

More detail has emerged on the ruling handed down late Tuesday by the Kentucky Court of Appeals which overturned a decision by a lower court to seize and possibly confiscate 141 online gambling domains belonging to owners throughout the world.

The Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA), one of the main challengers to the Kentucky state government's unprecedented attempt to interfere with the freedom of the Internet, has issued a statement giving details of the findings of the panel of three Appellate judges who considered the case.

The business section of the Isle of Man Today newspaper reported this week that Internet gambling is the fastest growing sector of the Manx economy, bucking the economic slowdown trend with the prospect of new businesses and new jobs being created on the island over the next few years.

The UK-based Club World Group has announced the launch of its newest property, Aladdins Gold Casino. Operating on the popular Real Time Gaming platform with both instant-play and download software, the new online gambling venue presents over a hundred quality games including all table games, progressives, video poker and a wide selection of video slots.

Three Kentucky Court of Appeals judges added to the US presidential inauguration celebrations Tuesday by returning a positive verdict for the freedom of the Internet in an appeal against the seizure of international domain names by a local county court judge.

In a late afternoon announcement, the judges ruled that the commonwealth of Kentucky overreached itself in having 141 international online gambling domain names seized by a Frankfort Circuit Court judge pending a threatened confiscation. The state's action was strenuously opposed by domain owners and Internet freedom organisations such as the Interactive Media Entertainment & Gaming Association. The Interactive Gaming Council also attacked the state's move.

Kentucky racecourse owner Churchill Downs is to fully exploit its privileged position vis-a-vis online gambling with expansion projects led by racetrack president Steven P. Sexton.

At least two of the five land betting companies licensed to offer Internet gambling by the Czech government, Fortuna and Sazka, are now online and operating according to media reports from the region. The latest to launch is Sazka Tip.cz following the issue of licenses last month (December) to Sazka, Fortuna, Chance, Synot Tip and TipSport, with a start date of January 5th 2009.