The Jackpot Factory
group of Microgaming powered online casinos, which
includes the OCS reviewed online casino,
All Slots, has
announced they will be imposing new restrictions on
players who reside in Kentucky and neighboring States.
The decision has come following the recent persecution
in Kentucky against online gambling sites, culminating
in a domain name seizure of over 140 internet betting
destinations.
While no domains
have actually been seized as of yet (Microgaming being a
possible exception), the fact of the matter is that a
legal court ruling now allows Kentucky to do so if
online casinos are found to be accepting real money
wagers from Kentucky residents. In other words, gaming
operators formerly accepting bets in Kentucky are no
longer doing so. Vegas Affiliates, which is another
small group of Microgaming powered online casinos,
recently announced they will cease taking bets from
all U.S. residents beginning November 10.
Particularyly
ironic is Governor Beshear's apparent vendetta against
Microgaming, who being a software licensee, does not
take bets from Kentucky residents. Microgaming simply
licenses their software platform to operators who can
brand their own online casino with the help of
Microgaming. Nonetheless, it is suspected that the
recent shutdown of Microgaming's website is due to the
activities going down in Kentucky.
As for the Jackpot
Factory, they haven't gone so extreme as Vegas
Affiliates in banning all U.S. players. However, just to
be safe, in addition to banning all Kentucky residents
from accessing a current account or opening a new one,
Jackpot Factory says they will be blocking current
customers (beginning November 6, 2008) whose IP
addresses trace back State's adjacent to Kentucky. These
State's include, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio,
Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee and Arkansas.
In order for
players residing in any of these State's to have their
accounts reinstated, they will need to provide proof of
residence. Jackpot Factory is urging all players with
questions and concerns to contact them directly at
Support @ JackpotFactory.com.
The good news is
that the debacle in Kentucky is not over. Proponents of
the online gambling industry are hopeful the current
County court ruling will be overturned by the Supreme
Court. Furthermore, the UIGEA itself isn't on the most
stable ground. If and when it is overturned or revised,
there is a chance players from Kentucky may be able to
access to favorite Microgaming online casino once again.
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