Another Kahnawake On The Cards?

Published: Tuesday, February 28, 2006 Online-Casinos.com

ANOTHER KAHNAWAKE ON THE CARDS?

Six Nations tribe considering online gambling jurisdictional possibilities

Another of Canada's First Nation tribes is considering opening up an internet gambling licensing and hosting service, according to reports this week in the Ontario press.

The Hamilton Spectator reports that Six Nations Chief David General is considering the business possibilities of such a move, but feels that his people will first have to decide whether Internet gaming is a safe bet for Canada's most populous native reserve.

Chief David and his elected council believe that a referendum is the best way to assess the will of the people on the contentious issue, which has been under debate for some three years.

Such a vote will probably be held within the year and would mean contacting all eligible voters among the 22 000 band members, only about half of whom live on the reserve. The others are scattered over Canada and the United States and in military units overseas.

Supporters of the Internet plan claim it has the potential to create high-tech jobs on the reserve and bring in about $3 million a year in licensing fees for the band council. As far as the legality was concerned, they argue the reserve is a "sovereign nation" within Canada and not subject to Canadian laws.

And they point to the Kahnawake reserve near Montreal that allows Internet gaming - the only jurisdiction in Canada that does - and could act as a model for Six Nations, saying that the national and provincial Canadian authorities have never tried to close it down.