When you think of big government abusing its power and taking over private industry, the state of Kentucky usually isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. But such is the problem in America that the progressive movement has so infected both major parties that even a traditionally conservative state like Kentucky has fallen victim.

Last year, Governor Steve Beshear and the state of Kentucky attempted to seize the domain names of 141 online gambling sites. The Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA) and the Interactive Gaming Council (IGC) immediately filed a petition to block the seizure of those domains. Under current state statutes, online gambling isn’t even illegal in the state of Kentucky, though of course laws can be interpreted a variety of ways, which is why lawyers exist.

Yesterday, the state Supreme Court ruled against the 141 gambling sites. In the ruling, the court stated that the domain names themselves cannot serve as an entity and court and they must be owned by a person or entity. With no owners in court, iMEGA therefore did not supply a member of the domain names. In other words, the court threw out the petition because iMEGA’s clients did not appear in court.

As a result of this ruling, the state of Kentucky can once again attempt to seize the online gambling domain names. If they do, however, it’s likely that iMEGA would file another petition. It is the belief of iMEGA that the Supreme Court’s ruling is not final and that if they can produce an owner of one or more of the domain names, the Court would be willing to hear their case.

Joe Brennan, Chairman of iMEGA, stated that “the Court clearly indicates they agree with our arguments and are inviting us to re-file so that the technicality of the standing issue can be resolved.” iMega plans to re-file and when the Supreme Court reaches a decision, we’ll let you know.

Two Republican senators have spoken out against attempts to legalize online sports betting in New Jersey and Delaware. Senators Orrin Hatch from Utah and Jon Kyl from Arizona sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder expressing their concerns about both states making sports betting more widespread. New Jersey and Delaware, seeking more revenue in a struggling economy, are seeking to overturn the Professional Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1991 (PASPA).

In the letter to Holder, the senators wrote that the efforts of both states “threaten to greatly expand sports gambling and undermine the integrity of our national pastimes.” The senators urged the Department of Justice to enforce the current prohibition against sports betting and protect the integrity of the sports.

Joe Brennan, chairman of the Interactive Media Entertainment & Gaming Association (iMEGA), which is challenging the ban on sports betting, disagrees with the senators, as you might expect. He stated that while he respected their desire to uphold the integrity of the nation’s sports, not legalizing and regulating sports betting leaves a lot of money on the table. He added that the current sports betting market is “unprotected, with no oversight, and at the mercy of criminal elements that are far more able to affect the outcome of a game than if the state stepped in and took the business away from them.”

While his argument makes sense on the surface, saying that the government getting involved with sports betting would rid it of corruption and the criminal element is laughable. Anyone who has been at odds with the government, especially the Obama administration, would probably rather deal with the mafia. In fact, some would consider the Social Security Administration, the Department of Treasury, the Internal Revenue Service and more to be nothing more than legal forms of organized crime. In other words, handing sports betting over from shady bookies to the government would only be trading low-level criminals for more powerful criminals with state and federal backing. So who would you rather deal with?

The Poker Players Alliance is excited about gains made this week towards furthering their goal of achieving the legalization and regulation of online gaming. More than 50 members of the Poker Players Alliance, 33 of them state directors, descended on Washington to seek support for online poker.

“From the more than 100 meetings with members and staff to the charity tournament that raised $35,000 for our wounded warriors, I’d say National Poker Week was a rousing success,” PPA Chairman and Former Senator Alfonse D’Amato said. “Congress is preparing for hearings this fall on the licensing and regulation of the game we love, so I urge all PPA members to continue this activism and enthusiasm so our elected officials can take their marching orders and fight to protect our game.”

Andy Bloch, one of many professional poker players to visit Washington to show his support said, “every single meeting and every method of communication counts. Even if you’re cynical about the political process, you’ll be encouraged to know that these members, whether they agree yet or not, are listening to our arguments and are truly surprised to know just how popular poker is in their hometowns. I truly feel we are winning on this issue, and the time is ripe for pro-poker legislation to pass into law.”

The PPA used this week to launch a major pro-online poker advertising campaign as well. The adds target politicians and representatives in Washington, urging them to protect poker. The adds highlight real online poker players and their stories, putting a human face to what many see as an illegal industry.

National Poker Week included lots of activity, here are some of the highlights:

• Over 100 meetings with representatives n Congress

• Charity poker event raised $35,000 to benefit the wounded warriors program

• 10 Congressmen and 30 soldiers wounded in battle participated in charity poker tournament

• The PPA’s Congressional briefing was attended by 70 Capitol Hill staffers and other interested parties

• The online petition addressed to President Obama received 375,769 (not so much a success since they were aiming for 500,000)

• Over 200,000 letters of support reached U.S. Representatives and Senators

“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

Ah, the ninth amendment. That vague “rule” written by the framers of the Constitution oh so many years ago. The ninth amendment is significant because it limits the size of the federal government. Unfortunately, over the past hundred years or so, the size of the federal government has increased and the significance of the words in our Constitution slowly chipped away for some. To the point where the federal government tells the people what games they can and cannot play. Still, our great country allows for the reversal of laws both silly and significant.

Today marks the start of National Poker Week 2009 and it’s not only a great time to get together with friends, drink a Shasta and toss some chips at your friends, it’s a great time to speak your mind. The goal of National Poker Week is to send a message to the President and the US Government as a whole that online poker and poker in general should be legal and licensed. The Poker Players Alliance has been working hard to raise awareness of the effort to do away with the UIGEA.

“We all have a right to play poker and taking away that right sets a dangerous precedent that no American should stand for,” stated Annie Duke, WSOP bracelet winner and UltimateBet consultant. “There’s a lot of work to do to ensure that poker players and the game get the respect they deserve but we’re getting there.”

This year is particularly important as Barney Franks online gaming legislation gains heat in the press and September approaches. A planned “fly in,” where pokers best and brightest plan to meet with delegates in Washington to promote the repealing of the UIGEA, is in full swing this week. Also, an online petition set to be delivered to President Obama is up to over 352,000 signatures with a goal of 500,000 signatures.

These days it seems you can’t throw a rock without hitting a story about something cool NetPlay is doing in the world of online and live gambling. Their latest venture is the announcement of the first UK’s first live, interactive television casino with broadcasting group STV.

“NetPlayTV is uniquely positioned to offer terrestrial broadcasters sustainable, fully regulated, revenue-generating programming. We believe demand from the broadcasters for these services will increase significantly over the coming months,” NetPlay CEO Martin Higginson said.

STV is the largest commercial broadcaster in Scotland reaches over four million viewers per month. Programming will begin in August of 2009 on Thursday, Friday, and Saturtday nights. Those tuning in will be able to place real-time cash bets on live games of blackjack, roulette, and bingo.

After the recent reclassification of gambling on television as “teleshopping” public broadcasters have been permitted to air live gaming between midnight and 6am.

This announcement comes less than a month since NetPlay announced alliances with media giant Playtech and European retail casino operator Stanleybet.

Bob Seger once said, “Knowledge is what you get when you read the fine print. Experience is what you get when you don’t.” Such a thought can be applied to the many online casinos and poker websites that closed their doors to U.S. Citizens when the UIGEA (Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act) was passed. However, USA Online Gambling maintains that the UIGEA does not outlaw online gambling, but merely restricts the ways transactions took place between online casinos and players. Such a thing seems like a logical choice given Fedzilla’s insatiable appetite for seizing the funds of online gambling businesses. Still, many top online gambling sites have found a way to circumvent the giant lumbering federal government and continue their transactions.

USA Online Gambling, (usa-online-gambling.com), is a website dedicated to educating online casino providers and players alike on how to “read the fine print.” Founder of USA Online Gambling, Tracy Carter, states, “There is a long list of sites that have overcome the UIGEA regulations and an even longer list of supporters, which aim to get the act overturned. The list of 30+ supporters of online gambling includes prominent politicians and entertainment companies such as Congressmen Barney Frank and Ron Paul, Harrah’s Entertainment, The Interactive Media Entertainment & Gaming Association and the World Trade Organization.”

The website provides a detailed analysis of what the UIGEA says and does not say. While the ultimate goal is to eventually overturn the act, but until that happens, the goal of the site is to let other know what the law “really says.”

“The fact that the government has attempted to make online gamling illegal is more than just an infringement on the rights of casinos to offer a service with massive entertainment value, but it is an infringement of the rights of players who want to enjoy online gambling from the comfort of their home. Overturning UIGEA would allow many casinos that left the U.S. Market to return, as well as increasing the number of payment and withdrawal methods. It is estimated that overturning the UIGEA and providing sites with a method of taxing sales would infuse the U.S. With over $50 billion in tax revenue within the next ten years. A number that would surely grow as online casinos were permitted to expand.” says Carter.

On Monday, officials from the United States and European Union met to discuss online gambling, among other issues. According to the European Union, the US passing the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in 2006 was a violation of trade agreements between the US and the EU. The EU conducted an investigation into the matter that resulted in sending a letter to the US earlier this year. The United States has been avoiding the issue for a while, but as officials from both bodies met on Monday to discuss the matter, it seems that both sides want to resolve the conflict.

EU Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton stated that Monday was a day to “set out the approach we are going to take, who would do that, and agree to keep in touch.” Both sides are looking for a solution that does not hurt them or hinder foreign relations. The US and EU met to discuss four areas of their trade agreement, with online gambling being one of the four. Ashton and US Trade Representative Ron Kirk will attempt to resolve the disagreements in the coming months. If they cannot come to a compromise, the issue will then be taken to the World Trade Organization (WTO), of which the US and EU are members.

The EU doesn’t want to miss out on the money, $14 billion in 2007, generated by online gambling. With many online gambling sites in foreign countries attracting customers in America, legislation passed by the US to ban “unlawful” online gambling affects foreign markets. Back in 1994, when the United States signed the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), they failed to put gambling on the list of exemptions from the free trade provisions. Though the EU has no authority over US law, the WTO has authority over international trade agreements between the two bodies. The US may have to either amend the law or provide monetary compensation to the EU. There was a similar dispute in 2003, when Antigua challenged that UIGEA violated their trade agreement with the United States. The WTO ruled in favor of Antigua.

Regardless of how it turns out, it seems that the days are numbered for UIGEA, which is also under attack in a lawsuit filed by the Interactive Media Entertainment & Gaming Association (iMEGA) and in legislation introduced by Representative Barney Frank.

32Red online casino has announced its biggest online slot tournament ever. The Grand Slam of Slots features a prize pool of €1.3 million and a top prize of €1,000,000. So much money that you might want to find an online currency converter to see what that translates to in USD.

If you haven’t been involved in an online slot tournament, it isn’t that much different from the way one would normally play online slots. Players pick one of three games and play as they normally would. Points are then accrued from various combos and features and then added to a leaderboard. Whoever has the most points when the tournament finishes will have a lot of money.

“The Grand Slam of Slots is one of the biggest gaming events we’ve ever been part of and is a great chance for players to experience these great games, the amazing Tomb Raider online slot, and become the first slot tournament millionaire in the process.” said Mark Quayle, head of marketing for 32Red.

“There are 481 winning places in addition to the massive €1,000,000 top spot, where players can win runner-up prizes worth up to €50,000. That means a ticket to the Grand Slam of Slots has a 20% chance of being a winner. In true 32Red style, we’ve added 32 €1,000 bonus prizes that will keep the tournament exciting and competitive through the leaderboard and not just the top. Players can even pick up a €1,000 prize in 8328^th place.”

Tickets to the Grand Slam of Slots cannot be purchased, instead 32Red is offering competitions and other fun ways for players to secure their seat. Mark adds, “Rebuys are going to be pivotal to anyone serious about hitting one of the bigger prizes. The opportunity for more credit and time will boost leaderboard scores and could be the difference between finishing below the payment threshold or in the money. For those wanting to practice their slot tournament skills, 32Red runs daily tournaments and even free slot tournaments from inside their online casino.”

In case you didn’t look it up already, I did it for you. (I know, I’m too good to you.) Drum roll please… €1,000,000 translates to $1,396,112.24!

The United States Government has come a long way from its “tea party” roots. To some, restricting the personal rights of others to “protect them from themselves” seems like the best way to spend our tax dollars. Fortunately, there are still some groups out there who understand that the government which governs least, governs best. The National Poker Alliance is gearing up for this year’s National Poker Week set for July 19-25, 2009. This year sees yet another “fly in” to Washington, DC where

Poker News Daily spoke with three of the big shots in the world of poker about the planned Washington D.C. “fly in” planned to coincide with National Poker Week where dozens of poker’s finest and state PPA representatives will be lobbying to free online gambling from the icy grip of the “mommy state” government.

Another initiative set forth by the alliance is something that anyone can be a part of if they choose.  Pokerpetition.com, which features an online petition to President Barack Obama, is expected to collect hundreds of thousands of signatures before it is delivered during National Poker Week.

2004 WSOP Main Event Champion Greg Raymer voiced his opinion on the government’s continued meddling in online gambling, “I’m a Libertarian in terms of my general philosophy. I don’t think the government should ever tell me what to do with my own time and money. If you’re committing a crime against me, that’s where the government is supposed to stop you, but if you’re going to be at your own home doing something by yourself, the government shouldn’t have anything to say no matter what you’re doing.”

Andy Bloch, a poker pro from Full Tilt Poker is excited for the “fly in” as well, “It’s going to be a busy couple of weeks for me. Hopefully I’ll make it to the WSOP Main Event final table. If not, I’m flying to London for a poker event and then on the way back, I’m stopping in Washington, DC for four days. The PPA did a fly-in last year and it was a great success. I think we’re going to bring in more people and be able to talk to more Congressmen this year.”

“There has really been an attack on poker, particularly online poker, during the lasts few years. We really think it’s unjustified. We think poker is a wonderful game and everyone should have the right to play it. We have casinos all over the United States where you can play poker. Why can’t you play online? What we’re doing is very good for poker and it’s going to bring the game to thousands of people all over the world.” said Chris Ferguson, another Full Tilt poker pro.

The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) is a non-profit membership organization comprised of online and offline poker players who have joined together to speak with one voice to promote the game and protect the right to play poker in all of its forms. A list of all planned activities and initiatives during National Poker Week can be found online at nationalpokerweek.com.

Joe Brennan, chairman of internet freedom lobby group Interactive Media Entertainment & Gaming Association (iMEGA) has downplayed reports that they are losing the battle against the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIEGA) in the courts.

While Democratic Representative Barney Frank has introduced a bill that would repeal the act, which is really Title VIII of the SAFE Port Act of 2006, iMEGA is taking no chances and is challenging it in the courts, claiming that the title is unconstitutional. Brennan calls the act, which prohibits financial institutions transferring money to unlawful Internet gambling sites, unconstitutional. The problem, according to Brennan, is that the language is too vague and no definition was given by Congress as to what constitutes “unlawful Internet gambling.” Only four states have laws that specifically prohibit online gambling. For the other 46, according to Brennan, a reasonable person has no way to tell whether or not they are breaking the law.

Brennan has a point. If there is no definition provided in the act that explains what gambling is legal and what is illegal, how can someone be expected to obey the law? Even if there was a clear definition, it seems a little hypocritical for the federal government to ban online gambling when 43 states have a state-run lottery, some of which can be played online. Not surprisingly, Nevada is one of the states that does not have a lottery, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, backed by a powerful Las Vegas casino lobby that does not want competition, has blocked attempts to legalize and regulate online gambling in the past. If Frank’s bill passes the House, however, Reid will have a tough decision to make, as his Nevada constituents seem to be split on the issue and his approval rating is already in the gutter.

If Frank’s bill passes both houses, Brennan’s lawsuit against the Department of Justice will be unnecessary. However, after the government froze over $30 million in funds to be payed out to winning players of several online casinos, the debate has heated up. The 27,000 players awaiting their earnings don’t want to wait for Congress. Neither does Brennan.