Does Kahnawake Want A Land Casino?

This story was published more than 12 years ago.

A report in the Montreal Gazette earlier this week stated that the Mohawks of Kahnawake are planning to try to get a land casino in Quebec.

The report reads in part: "In addition to the prospect of a new lottery offering for Quebec, a bricks-and-mortar casino has been proposed for the South Shore community by the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake,"

The report states that the Mohawk tribal council has hired a U.S. firm to conduct studies on the subject, the first of which will be released next week.

The Kahnawake Mohawk Tribal Council has tried two previous times to obtain a land casino, both of which were voted down in referendums. The first referendum in 1994 failed by less than 100 votes: 724 for and 627 opposed. The second referendum in 2004 failed by a margin of 57% to 43%.

Grand Council Chief Michael Delisle Jr. commented on his tribe's ambitions, saying:We are looking at generating the type of funds that would make us independent somewhere in the near future,” Delisle said, suggesting that a land casino could “generate $20 to $30 million, hopefully.”