Kahnawake Gaming Commission

The Kahnawake Gaming Commission is an organisation that licenses a large number of online casinos and online poker rooms. [ [http://www.kahnawake.com/gamingcommission/permits.asp Kahnawake Gaming Commission: Permits] ] It was established in 1996 [ [http://www.winneronline.com/articles/june2001/kahnawake.htm WinnerOnline.com: Where the Heck is Kahnawake?] by Stuart Kernaghan] and is based in Kahnawake 14, Quebec.

It charges a fee for the initial application of $15,000 plus an annual licence fee of $10,000. [ [http://www.kahnawake.com/gamingcommission/application.htm Kahnawake Gaming Commission: Application] ] License holders are entitled to display the group's logo on their website. The group takes complaints about licensees on its website. [ [http://www.kahnawake.com/gamingcommission/complaints.htm Kahnawake Gaming Commission: Complaints] ]

Legality

The legality of the hundreds of casinos operating from Kahnawake (comprising approximately 60% of global online casino traffic) now appears uncertain, since GoldenPalace.com, the world's largest casino, pleaded guilty to illegal internet gambling and was fined C$2 million in relation to its server presence in Kahnawake.

The legality question lies between native rights of the Mohawk tribe, and the Canadian Criminal Code, which states that only the provincial government is permitted to issue casino licences. [ [http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2007/11/29/qc-goldenpalace1129.html CBC News: Kahnawake's resident cybercasino giant fined for illegal gaming] ]

Regulatory Activity

The Kahnawake Commission lists two complaints on its website, the first being that GoldenPalace.com disrupted the 2004 Olympic Games. The casino was told by the Commission to make a donation to Mohawk charities and that "Golden Palace will not use, promote, encourage or fund this type of ‘marketing’ ever again". However, the casino proceeded to also disrupt the 2006 Winter Olympics. No action was taken against the casino by Kahnawake. [ [http://www.casinomeister.com/rogue/goldenpalace.html Casinomeister: Rogues - Golden Palace Casino] ]

An investigation into the activity of Absolute Poker, which was accused of cheating is currently ongoing. [ [http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/10/18/absolute_poker_cheating_allegations/ TheRegister.co.uk: Absolute Poker probed for insider cheating] ]

Notes

External links

* [http://www.kahnawake.com/gamingcommission/ Official site]