In the continuing battle between online gambling and the commonwealth of Kentucky, Gambling911.com has learned that the state’s attorneys are making one last ditch effort to recoup money under the so-called Widowed and Orphaned statute, which allows family members of deceased indebt gambling degenerates to be paid monies owed.

The defendant listed is Full Tilt Poker’s parent company.  This is the latest blow to the world’s second largest online poker room following news yesterday that Full Tilt is the focus of a Manhattan Grand Jury investigation.

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(As reported by CasinoCity.com)–Defense attorneys had their day in court Tuesday as they tried to convince Judge Thomas Wingate to dismiss Kentucky’s attempt to seize 141 online gambling domains. Wingate spent over three hours hearing oral arguments about Kentucky’s bid to shut down online gambling in Kentucky by seizing the domains of gambling sites. And at the end of the hearing, Wingate indicated that he would issue his ruling on Oct. 15.

“The lawyers representing the 141 domains did an excellent job of pointing out issues of law that show the Commonwealth didn’t have the authority to do this,” said John Pappas, executive director of the Poker Players Alliance.

Last week, the PPA filed an amicus brief arguing that poker sites should not be included in the state’s action because poker is a skill game.

“I also believe that there was a sense from the judge that he was fully understanding the impact of his order,” Pappas said.

“It was an educational process and good listening session for the judge,” said Jennifer Brislin, communications director for the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, which filed the lawsuit on behalf of the government.

“We have a very strong case and nothing that happened yesterday did anything to diminish that,” Brislin added.

Tuesday’s hearing focused on standing, whether Kentucky has jurisdiction over domain names and arguments that domain names were not illegal gambling devices.

Next week’s ruling is expected to be about those issues, Brislin told Casino City. The judge might also “lay out the plan for going forward” with the forfeiture hearing, Brislin said.

(Frankfort, KY) - As reported on Courier-Journal.com, Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear announced yesterday that he is trying to shut down illegal Internet gambling in Kentucky, though some industry experts say his chances of success aren’t good. This is from a Governor who based his gubernatorial campaign on expanded gambling in Kentucky and failed miserably.

While the ultimate decision lies with the voters of Kentucky, Beshear could not even get the vote for casinos in Kentucky to the House or Senate, much less on the ballot for the voters to decide. In a press conference, Beshear mentioned that online gambling sites “are leeches on our communities” and undermine Kentucky’s horse racing industry.” Really? And what does he think the casinos in Indiana do to the communities of Kentucky and to the race tracks who compete for the entertainment dollars of gamers?

He also stated that “Kentuckians spend “tens of millions of dollars” on illegal Internet gambling sites each year — money that might otherwise go to Kentucky’s horse tracks, charitable events and the state lottery.” Really? Why didn’t he throw in the amount that is sent to the casinos in states that surround Kentucky?

While the measures to ban Internet Gambling in Kentucky might be important, the fact of the matter is that our political leaders need to figure out how to embrace Internet Gambling nationwide rather than ban it in individual states. The casinos in Indiana and surrounding states are to Kentucky what Internet Gambling is to the United States…billions of dollars leaving the economic system. Once gaming is expanded in Kentucky, the state will receive a windfall of gaming tax dollars from those who currently spend their gambling entertainment dollars beyond state borders. On a much larger scale, once the United States figures out how to embrace this thing called the Internet and finds a system to legalize, regulate and tax gambling, an immediate windfall of tax dollars from the sites will be seen.

The silver lining in all of this is that it keeps expanded gambling in the forefront of Americans, Kentuckians and all of those who are interested in legally playing cards on the Internet or gambling within their own state.

So what can you do? For starters, join the Poker Players Alliance.

Click here to send Gov. Beshear a letter voicing your concern on his efforts.

Click here to send Kentucky State Representatives a letter voicing your concern on their efforts.

Also, comment below on your stance on expanded gambling in states that currently do not allow is and embracing Internet Gambling in the United States.

To read the full article on Courier-Journal, Click Here!

           
United States Ryder Cup team captain, Paul Azinger, announced the final four “Captain’s Picks” for this years Ryder Cup team today completing his 12-man team. The Ryder Cup matches will be held Sept. 19, 20 and 21 at Vahalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky and will showcase the best players from the United States against the best players from Europe.

The final four selections (pictures above from Left to Right) are Steve Stricker, Hunter Mayhan, J.B. Holmes and Chad Campbell to round out an already impressive line-up for the Americans.

To read the full report from the PGA, Click Here.

(From The Louisville Courier-Journal) –(8/18/08) — Turf writer Andy Beyer has complained that synthetic surfaces produce “boringly homogenized” races.

Courier-Journal columnist Rick Bozich wrote in 2007 that he’d “seen lines at the Post Office move faster” than the horses in the first Blue Grass Stakes that was run on Polytrack at Keeneland that year.

Steve Moody, publisher of the Kentucky Handicapper’s Sheet, acknowledges that by slowing down speed horses, synthetic tracks make races more competitive and arguably more exciting.

“But handicappers aren’t looking for exciting races,” he said. “They want to pick the winner. … My personal feelings are that I don’t like them.”

He said serious horseplayers stay away from betting on artificial surfaces in part because they can’t figure them out — by evening the field, the synthetics make it harder to eliminate horses from contention.

Other handicappers have said that handicapping is more challenging because of the unpredictability of races as horses move between dirt and synthetic surfaces.

“You used to be able to throw out eight horses in a 12-horse field and focus on the other four,” Moody said. “Now it’s the other way around.”

For example, horses that could get to the inside at Keeneland, which was known as the Golden Rail, used to be a good bet on its old dirt track, Moody said.

But because synthetic tracks drain better and are more consistent across the track, they eliminate the advantage for inside runners, he and other handicappers say.

Keeneland’s average daily handle during its spring meet this year dropped to about $8.9 million from $10.2 million, which spokesman Jim Williams said may have been attributable in part to players “uncomfortable with betting on the Polytrack.”

But Turfway Park’s CEO Robert Elliston said his track’s handle has grown since it became the first in North America to go synthetic. He credits that in part to larger fields and fewer racing days lost to bad weather.

He said horses don’t have to go to the front because there is less “kickback” — the dirt thrown by horses — to avoid. That means horses are clumped closer together as they head home.

“You have more exciting finishes,” he said.

Figures collected by Polytrack, which has installed its synthetic surface at five North American racetracks, confirm that the average number of lengths between the winner and last-place finisher has declined — dramatically so at Keeneland.

They also show that the knock on Polytrack — that it is slower — is a myth, said Jim Pendergast, general manager the British company’s U.S. division, a joint venture with Keeneland.

Four tracks with Polytrack had average winning times that were equal to average speeds on dirt. Only one, Del Mar Race Course, was significantly slower at every distance; the average winner at a mile distance was three seconds slower. At Keeneland, according to the company, the average winners’ time was faster at every distance in 2007 on Polytrack than in 2006 on dirt.

This year at Del Mar, however, the pace has picked up after the track decided to water its surface. In the first three days of this summer’s meet, for example, the record for 5 1/2 furlongs was lowered twice.

There are 39 days until the 2008 Ryder Cup tees off from September 18th through the 21st, and everybody is trying to get to Louisville, Kentucky to represent the U.S. at Valhalla Golf Club.  The Wanamaker Trophy, which goes to the winner of the PGA Championship, wasn’t the only thing that players were trying to get this weekend.  They were also trying to earn an automatic berth on the U.S. Ryder Cup team by finishing in the top 8 in the PGA points race, which closed Sunday after the championship.

The first eight players of the twelve member Ryder Cup team were announced this morning by U.S. Captain Paul Azinger at a press conference.  In what turned out to be quite the mix of both young and seasoned players, the team is comprised of Phil Mickelson, Stewart Cink, Kenny Perry, Jim Furyk, Anthony Kim, Justin Leonard, Ben Curtis and Boo Weekley.

“Well, Phil Mickelson had a pretty good week this week and ends up leading the points list.  Tiger Woods would be leading the points list, but unfortunately for all of us he’s not going to be able to be there,” Azinger said of the first selection for the team.  “Phil is a good friend of mine and arguably I think one of the best players that’s ever lived, with 34 wins and three major titles.  We’re going to have a great time.  I’ve already sought a lot of Phil’s input with respect to course setup and we’ve talked about picks already.” Ben Curtis was the big story though, as he jumped 13 spots to clinch the automatic berth, from 20th to 7th.  He was able to accomplish that by having a big weekend and finish second at the championship this weekend. With three more weeks to go until the final four players are selected for the team, Azinger feels that it’s really anybody has a shot.   “I’m really excited about who we have on the team.  The next three weeks are going to be really important for the remainder of the PGA Tour because as I look at it right now anybody can get on this team,” Azinger said.  “I have some really good friends that play this TOUR that are out there with chances to get on this team, and there’s a bunch of guys who I don’t know, at all, who have an opportunity to get on this team, and some of them are close.
“So I’ll do what’s best for us, what’s best for the American Ryder Cup Team, which is best for the United States of America,” he continued.  “I’ll look beyond friendships, and just try to do what’s right and get the best players on this team.” The final four selections will be announced at a press conference on Tuesday, September 2nd.   Another big story will be Kenny Perry returning to his home state of Kentucky to compete on the team. “I’m really excited for Kenny Perry to be on the team, being from Kentucky and I think we all are pretty familiar with Kenny Perry.  He’s established goals for himself, and you know, he unfortunately had to withdraw this week, I guess he had a scratched cornea, I don’t know what that feels like; I don’t know how hard that is to recover from,” Captain Azinger said.  “But I’m excited about Kenny Perry being on the team.  I’ve known Kenny for a long time.  We used to play against each other on the mini tours.” The U.S. team is hoping to bounce back after two poor Ryder Cup showings in a row, where they lost 18 1/2 – 9 1/2. 

(As reported on courier-journal.com) State Rep. Greg Stumbo circulated a draft of a bill yesterday that could allow video-lottery terminals at most Kentucky racetracks and use the revenues to eliminate the state’s property tax on vehicles and boats. Messages left for the Prestonsburg Democrat in Frankfort and on his cell phone were not returned. In a statement, Stumbo said he wants public comment over the next several weeks. Stumbo, who was House majority floor leader before serving as attorney general, has said he might seek a legislative leadership post next year.

The bill would make the video-lottery terminals — which in essence are slot machines — part of the Kentucky Lottery. His effort would not require amending the state constitution, which couldn’t be done until 2010.

Stumbo previously had indicated he would offer a bill next year as a trial of expanded gambling at tracks, but the draft released yesterday does not have any sunset provisions.

Motor vehicle property taxes produced $103.7 million in the fiscal year that ended in 2007. Revenue estimates for the year that ended June 30 and the next two years range between $106.9 million and $113.6 million.

The draft bill would eliminate the state’s portion of the property tax, but continue to allow local governments, school systems and other taxing districts to assess property taxes on vehicles and boats.

The bill would allow the video terminals at racetracks that have more than 20 days of racing a year. Under the current calendar, that would eliminate Kentucky Downs in Franklin and Bluegrass Downs in Paducah from consideration.

Thunder Ridge in Prestonsburg currently races 24 days.

Tracks also would have to receive approval from the governing body of the city or county where they are located, but that decision “shall be limited to a determination that the location is a suitable one,” the draft said.

The draft bill would allow between 87 percent and 95 percent of what is wagered returned to players in prizes

From the 5 percent to 13 percent taken out before winnings, 7 percent of that would go to cover lottery corporation costs, 14 percent for the expenses of operating the machines and an unspecified amount to replace the state motor vehicle and boat property tax.

Once those are removed, the remaining pool would be divided:

40 percent for racing purses

5 percent for standardbred, quarter-horse and other breed development

50 percent for the Department of Education

4 percent for problem gambling awareness and treatment

1 percent for the Kentucky pride environmental cleanup fund.

Kevin Flanery, a Churchill Downs Inc. spokesman, said officials with the racetrack company are in the process of reviewing Stumbo’s draft.

“We’re happy that legislators are still considering alternative forms of gambling that would be located at racetracks and ultimately help the horse industry,” he said.

Stumbo’s isn’t the only proposal in the discussion stages.

Rep. Tom Burch, D-Buechel, also has said he will file a bill for next year’s legislature to allow up to 18,000 slot machines across the state, including at eight licensed racetracks — also without amending the constitution.

Gov. Steve Beshear’s proposal during this year’s session to allow casinos at tracks and other sites failed.

(As reported in The Herald-Leader)-Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear created a task force Thursday to study the future of horse racing, charging its members with making recommendations to give Kentucky horse racing a â€more sound financial future.“ A news release announcing the Governor’s Task Force on the Future of Horse Racing does not mention casino gambling, but many of its members have advocated for casinos at race tracks.

â€I gave them a broad charge of looking at the health and the future of horse racing in Kentucky,“ Beshear said in an interview. â€If they choose to look at expanded gaming, they can.“

In an executive order, Beshear told the task force to study the economic soundness of the industry, the effectiveness and quality of drug testing, the proper role of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission and the adequacy of state laws and regulations.

Bob Beck, a member of the new task force and chair of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, said the task force’s mission is multi-pronged and financial stability was the final item the task force was charged with examining.

â€It was almost an after-thought,“ Beck said of the funding issue. Beck said the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission needs to identify some type of long-term funding source because the commission is currently understaffed and underfunded.

Tracy Farmer, a long-time proponent of expanded gambling and chairman of the task force, said the group will likely not duplicate work already being done by various subcommittees of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, which is also looking at issues facing the industry including drug use and licensing fees.

â€The committees of the racing commission are doing an excellent job,“ Farmer said. â€We will likely talk to them and talk to everyone in the horse industry and then we’ll try to come to some conclusions and make recommendations.

Senate President David L. Williams, R-Burkesville, who opposes the expansion of gambling, said he is looking forward to seeing the task force’s findings â€although I am concerned that some of the members have taken public positions in support of the expansion of gambling in Kentucky.“

By Beth Musgrave
bmusgrave@herald-leader.com

(As reported in the Courier-Journal) (VIRGIE, Ky.) – Gov. Steve Beshear said yesterday that legalizing casinos remains a possibility in Kentucky even though lawmakers rejected the idea earlier this year. “I don’t think that issue is dead,” Beshear told about 400 people gathered in a small school auditorium in the heart of the Appalachian coalfields. “I think we will be talking about it a lot more.”

Beshear yesterday began a series of 13 town hall meetings that will take him to communities across the state during the next five weeks.

The governor said he is especially interested in suggestions on how state government can continue to provide services under tight budget constraints. The state faces a $900 million revenue shortfall over the next two years.

Beshear, who received a standing ovation when he was introduced, raised the casino issue in a community where support for the proposal is at best lukewarm, said the Rev. John Doug Hays, pastor of Jack’s Creek Baptist Church and a former state senator.

“We’re a conservative, church-oriented community,” Hays said. “I just don’t think it’s a popular issue here. I understand what the governor says, that it’s happening all around us. By the same reasoning, you could say there’s prostitution in Nevada. Let’s bring in legalized prostitution. We have to draw a moral line in the sand.”

Beshear proposed legislation calling for a constitutional amendment to legalize casino gambling. That measure, he said, could have generated up to $600 million a year in additional state revenue.

Beshear said after the meeting that no decision has been made on when he will bring the issue back to the General Assembly.

“We’re going to listen to people as we go around the state,” he said.

At least one political critic, Republican Party Chairman Steve Robertson, contends Beshear has scheduled the meetings in hopes of improving his image after a dismal start to his young administration. In his first go-around with the legislature, he was unable to get lawmakers to approve his two primary objectives — the casino amendment and a proposal to increase the state cigarette tax from 30 cents to $1 a pack.

Beshear’s latest push should be easier to achieve — the creation of an “In God We Trust” license plate. He has called on lawmakers to approve the idea when they return to Frankfort early next year.

Robertson questioned Beshear’s motive for the proposal, saying the timing “smacks of politics.”

Beshear complained about what he called “rank partisanship” in Frankfort.

“People are so interested in fighting each other that they can’t get together and do what’s right,” he said. “It’s just been bickering back and forth, arguing back and forth, and getting nothing done.”

From the Cincinnati Enquirer- The Kentucky Speedway is under new ownership and they have their sights set high.  Speedway Motorsports Inc. founder and chairman Bruton Smith announced today the purchase of the speedway in a deal expected to close in October.  They plan to add 50,000 seats to the speedway and plan on bringing a Sprint Cup race to the speedway.

“This is the biggest announcement we’ve ever made,” Smith said during a press conference at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. “I’m delighted to tell you, yes, that we’ve purchased the Kentucky Speedway.”

Speculation is that Smith will move a Sprint Cup race from other tracks he operates, possibly from Atlanta or New Hampshire.

“This is a great speedway,” said Smith, adding he may attempt to change the name of the track. “I have been there, I like it a lot.”

Smith said Kentucky Speedway caters to a market hungry for a Sprint Cup race and enthusiastic about professional racing.

“It’s a hot bed of racing, there’s no doubt about that,” Smith said, adding that the market is ripe for racing because of the proximity to Cincinnati and other major markets.

Kentucky Speedway chairman and developer Jerry Carroll, who attended the press conference, said Smith has met with Gov. Steve Beshear to discuss his ownership of the track. Carroll said Smith may also “request some help” from the state, but he would not discuss details of what that might entail.

The track has also qualified for a tourism tax credit that allows it to receive a 25-cent rebate for every $1 of sales tax generated at the facility.

Terms of the sale were not announced, but Carroll said this morning that Smith plans to invest $50 million in the speedway.

“We will make changes,” Smith said. “We’ve already been kind of working on some ideas .. and a lot of different changes we’ll be making there.”

Kentucky Speedway was built for $152 million and opened in 2000 without a promise from NASCAR it would one day host the sanctioning body’s premier racing series, now the Sprint Cup Series.

News of the deal with SMI comes at the same time lawyers representing Kentucky Speedway continue to fight in 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals the early January decision by a U.S. District Court judge to dismiss the track’s antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR and International Speedway Corp.

Kentucky Speedway filed suit in 2005 alleging NASCAR and ISC violated antitrust laws by restricting which tracks host Nextel Cup races and trying to “monopolize the market for hosting premium stock car racing events.â€

The track later amended its complaint and said it wanted NASCAR to develop “objective factors†for the awarding of Cup races; for the France family to give up control of either ISC (a public company that operates tracks and whose majority of voting stock is owned by the Frances) or NASCAR (a private company owned by the Frances); and for ISC to sell at least eight of the 12 tracks it owns that host Cup events. It also sought more than $200 million in damages.

The sale will not impact the appeal.

The track’s most popular race – the Meijer 300 for the second-tier NASCAR Nationwide Series – is less than four weeks away. The facility has enough grandstand seating for 66,089 fans, but boasts room enough to expand and seat 140,000.

The Nationwide Series race has averaged 70,952 fans since its debut in 2001. The IndyCar Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and ARCA RE/MAX Series also hold races at Kentucky Speedway.

Smith, 81, added to his lineup of tracks in November by orchestrating the purchase of New Hampshire International Speedway. The 1.058-mile oval, which annually hosts two Sprint Cup Series races, sold for $340 million.

Buying a track with a Nextel Cup date and moving a race to Kentucky Speedway was one way Carroll thought he could get NASCAR’s top division to his facility. The New Hampshire track was one he pursued.

The amended complaint against NASCAR and ISC disclosed that Kentucky Speedway had in the past offered Bob Bahre, the longtime owner of New Hampshire International Speedway, $360 million to buy his track.

Make sure to check out The Cincinnati Enquirer for this article and more on the purchase of the Kentucky Speedway and its future plans.

     
(Louisville, KY) The week leading up to the 134th Running of the Kentucky Derby was full of excitement. Our good friends Phil Hellmuth, Jr. and Robert Williamson III came to town ready to have a good time. Thursday the guys kicked off the annual Bowl for the Roses at Lucky Strike, raising money for the Disabled Jockey’s Fund.