What is GoDaddy doing with gambling domains?
There have been a number of rumors swirling around about whether GoDaddy has handed over domains that Kentucky wants to seize as it cracks down on illegal gambling. A number of online gambling news sources have reported that GoDaddy capitulated and turned over the domains, but a look at the whois shows the domains are still in the original owners’ names. (Compare this to the domain names Enom handed over, which are in Kentucky’s name.) I asked GoDaddy for an official response, and this is what General Counsel Christine Jones had to say: We did not give the names to the Commonwealth of Kentucky, as stated in the order, as the registrant had not had a proper chance to be heard on these issues. We provided the court a registrar certificate giving jurisdiction to the court. Meaning whatever the end result of this litigation, we will implement the court’s order. Here, the registrant still has the ‘locked’ domain names and the Commonwealth of Kentucky does not.
