A court bid to confiscate more than 140 internet gambling domain names CAN go ahead, a judge has decided.

Franklin County Circuit Court judge Thomas Wingate has thrown out a bid by the web site operators to dismiss an action brought by Kentucky State Governor Steve Beshear.

Beshear wants to take control of the domains — including some of the Internet’s most popular gaming sites — if they refuse to block access to computers within state borders.

Judge Wingate will now hear the case on Nov. 17.

Unruffled

“Opposing groups and lawyers argue any judicial interference of the Internet will create HAVOC. This doomsday argument does not ruffle the court,” he wrote.

“The Internet — with all its benefits and advantages to modern day commerce and life — is still not above the law.”

Beshear welcomed the news: “No one has been willing to step up and do anything about illegal Internet gambling until now,” he said in a written statement.

“We must protect our people, especially our children, from this illegal and unregulated activity while also protecting our legal and regulated forms of gaming in Kentucky.”