Microgaming may deny all new U.S. players beginning Nov. 10

The fallout from the Kentucky domain seizure case in October continued Thursday as word spread that Microgaming would begin blocking all new registrations from the U.S., not just the ones from Kentucky.

In an announcement on the GPWA forums today, Brightshare said that beginning Monday, Nov. 10, Micrograming would stop accepting all U.S. customers. And as a result, Jackpot Factory – which is marketed by Brightshare and powered by the Microgaming – would stop accepting new U.S. customers as well. Referback also announced today that casinos it markets would stop accepting U.S. players immediately. All six Referback casinos – 49 Jackpot City, Cool Hand Poker, Jackpot City Online, Lucky Nugget Online Casino, River Belle Online Casino and The Gaming Club Casino – are also powered by Microgaming software.

Vegas Affiliates announced on Wednesday that casinos it markets -- Grand Hotel Casino, Colosseum Casino, Vegas Joker Casino, Vegas Country Casino, Vegas Slot Casino and Vegas 7 Casino -- will not be accepting any new U.S. players effective Monday, Nov. 10, as well. All of Vegas Affiliates' casinos are powered by Microgaming.

Fortune Affiliate and Fortune Lounge's casinos have also stopped accepting U.S. players.

For the time being, existing U.S. players have been told that they can continue to use their accounts.

Other casinos and poker rooms using Microgaming software have adopted a more muted response.

At Eurolynx.com, which uses Microgaming software, a disclaimer has been posted at the bottom of its "Viva America" page stating that while the casino is open to players from the U.S., residents of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin and Utah "cannot play poker or in the casino, but were welcome to play in the sportsbook."

A similar disclaimer was posted this week at Intertops.com, another site powered by Microgaming. A link on the home page titled "Important legal notice and disclaimer" states that "no bets will be accepted in the Casino or the Poker room if placed from: Michigan, Illinois, Louisiana, Oregon, Wisconsin, Nevada, Washington, Indiana, South Dakota, New Jersey, Utah, Kentucky and New York."

And affiliate program Star Partner and its network of 14 online casinos are also blocking players from the surrounding states of Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee and Missouri until they are supplied with a "proof of identification in the form of a utility bill and an identification document."

In a related development, the main Microgaming Web site has been down since Tuesday with all of its pages displaying a "Site not available" message.

Microgaming, a major software provider to the online gambling industry, was one of the 141 online gambling sites that was subjected to a seizure order in October and given 30 days to block access to Kentucky residents on Oct. 15 by Judge Thomas Wingate, who presides over a state circuit court in Kentucky.

The judge went on to say in his ruling that if the sites in question "reasonably established to the satisfaction of the Kentucky's Justice and Safety Cabinet or this Court that such geographical blocks are operational, (they) shall be relieved from the effects of the Seizure order and from any further proceedings in the instant civil forfeiture action."