t was a long-anticipated court date for members of the online gambling community. The Supreme Court will now have to decide the issue, but legal experts predict that the decision may not come down for weeks.
Governor Steve Beshear and the state originally seized the domain names, setting off an outrage by people knowledgeable about online gambling laws in the US. Since the original seizure, an appeals court has ruled that the seizures should not have taken place.
Almost immediately after that ruling, the state appealed to the Supreme Court. Attorneys presented their cases on Thursday, and now it is in the hands of the states highest court. Legal experts believe that the appeals court ruling will hold up.
Online gambling has become an issue that is just now hitting the mainstream. Media outlets have started to devote effort to covering the issue, but it is an issue that has been brewing for quite some time.
In 2006, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act was created by a largely Republican Congress. Financial institutions have stated their point of view that it would be impossible to enforce such a law.
Representative Barney Frank is hoping that lawmakers overturn the law sometime next year. Frank has proposed legislation that would regulate, instead of criminalize, the online gambling industry in the US.
