In breaking news from the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the state’s Supreme Court has ruled against the owners of 141 internet gambling domain names, charging that the principal parties involved do not have standing.

Thursday marks a possible release date of a decision in the case involving the seizure of 141 internet gambling domain names. The URLs at risk belong to some of the industry’s marquee sites like PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker.

To open the 2010 calendar year, officials from the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) have largely focused their energies on the state level, including Florida, California, Alaska, and Delaware.

Last month, Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Judd Gregg (R-NH) introduced the Bipartisan Tax Fairness and Simplification Act. The measure includes language legalizing and regulating internet gambling in the United States. Now, the industry has had a chance to react.

Last week, Congressman Barney Frank (D–MA) garnered another co-sponsor to his internet gambling bill, bringing the total number of co-sponsors, including Frank himself, to 66.

Despite an ongoing court battle to rid the state of 141 internet gambling sites, Kentucky’s House passed a bill taxing online and phone “advanced deposit wagers” on horse racing by an 85-8 margin. Now, the measure will be discussed in the Kentucky Senate.

Following the lead of the province of Quebec, the leaders of the province of Ontario are now examining the possibility of starting their own provincial online gaming and poker outlets.

Facing a deficit of $24.7 billion this fiscal year, the government of Ontario, headed by Premier Dalton McGuinty, is attempting to find ways to make up that shortfall.

On Tuesday, Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Judd Gregg (R-NH) introduced S 3018, the Bipartisan Tax Fairness and Simplification Act. Among other topics, the bill establishes a framework to tax and regulate internet gambling in the United States.

The landscape of the European online poker and casino gaming world continues to get murkier as two recent opinions from the European Court of Justice question the legalities of the Austrian and Swedish gaming laws.

On Tuesday, a hearing in Massachusetts will feature a discussion of whether poker should legally be considered a game of skill. Supporting the measure is the Harvard-based Global Poker Strategic Thinking Society (GPSTS).

Recently, Senator Jon Kyl of Arizona, a Republican who has been a longtime proponent of making online gaming and poker illegal and a staunch supporter of the UIGEA, dropped his opposition to several of President Barack Obama’s nominees to the Treasury Department.

European gambling companies received some positive comments from the new European Internal Market Commissioner Michel Barnier this week. Speaking for the first time since taking over the role in January, Barnier told the European Parliament Thursday that last year’s bwin/Santa Casa ruling by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has little bearing on the Commission’s approach to infringement procedures against member states.

A New Jersey State Senate Committee approved a bill calling for a referendum on sports wagering by a 4-0 margin on Monday. A measure authorizing intrastate internet gambling may be next on the docket.

On Monday, officials from the Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA) participated in a hearing of the New Jersey Senate Gaming and Tourism Committee. Taking center stage was whether to legalize online sports betting and internet gambling.

The battle over whether California Indian tribes can provide online poker may soon come to a head. Many in the industry are anticipating a hearing on the issue next month, as the tribe behind an effort to create a state-sanctioned online poker site last year has apparently renewed its efforts to push a bill.

A recent decision by the European Union’s Court of Justice (ECJ) offered clarification as to how EU law affects online gaming regulations in individual states within the Union.

The Kentucky Supreme Court failed to hand down a decision on Thursday in the case involving the seizure and potential forfeiture of 141 internet gambling domain names.

The Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the industry’s one-million member strong lobbying organization, is ramping up for what could be a monumental 2010 legislative year. At stake is the future of online poker in the United States.

Legalized internet gambling and online poker may be coming to New Jersey. State Senator Raymond Lesniak introduced S 3167, which specifically legalizes the internet version of popular brick and mortar games like poker, roulette, baccarat, blackjack, craps, the big six wheel, slot machines, mini baccarat, red dog, pai gow, and sic bo.

It’s been 16 months since 141 internet gambling domain names belonging to some of the world’s largest online poker sites were seized in Kentucky. As their assets face potential forfeiture, the owners of the domain names may learn their fate as soon as January 21st.

Many political bloggers are criticizing Senator Jon Kyl’s recent tactic of stalling Treasury appointments in response to delays in the implementation of his Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.

Online gaming operators such as Ladbrokes and William Hill fled to Gibraltar last year in order to escape U.K. government gambling taxes and become more competitive with overseas operators. Now, it appears the relocation could be all for naught.

Defying an order from the European Union (EU), Belgium has enacted laws that could have it become the next nation to nationalize online poker operations. It follows a similar stance towards online poker in Italy.

The fight for five poker players in South Carolina is far from over. According to the Associated Press, the state’s Attorney General will appeal the October ruling that Texas Hold’em, the world’s premier poker genre, is a skill game.

Following a chain of e-mails sent last week by attorneys for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the names of additional defendants in the state’s legal action against the owners of 141 internet gambling domain names remain a mystery.