WE LOST! Beshear May Get His Way!

Dear Kimberly,

Thank you for contacting Governor Beshear earlier to tell him to respect your liberties and to abandon his plan to seize Internet poker websites’ domain names. Beshear's office has been getting flooded with phone calls and letters. I'm proud of the poker players of the Commonwealth for taking a strong stand.

Unfortunately, the judge in the Beshear Prohibition case ruled against us today. However, this is just the first round. Be assured that your PPA will continue fighting this through appeals and in other venues.

I believe the judge got this one wrong, and I strongly disagree with the ruling that poker is not a game of skill. It is. PPA filed a brief in the case proving that skill plays an essential role in being a successful poker player. Additionally, I believe that by confirming Beshear’s actions, the court set a dangerous precedent for censorship of the Internet. The ruling is a huge step backward for both personal rights and Internet freedom. In essence, Beshear is denying law-abiding citizens this form of recreation simply because it is enjoyed on the Internet. This is Internet censorship by judicial fiat, plain and simple.

I find Beshear’s expansion of Kentucky gaming law to include poker to be an outrage. Other states have had low-stake home poker games raided by SWAT teams, and I am very concerned that this expansion will affect Kentucky home games.