Kahnawake Challenges Ontario Online Gaming

This story was published more than 1 year ago.

Last week it was revealed that the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake is legally challenging the province of Ontario's internet gambling industry, arguing that the industry is unconstitutional under Canadian law.

The council says that Ontario doesn't meet the threshold of offering online betting in Canada, with the group saying that commercial gambling is only legal if it is conducted and managed by a provincial government. Ontario's liberalization of the market, Kahnawake argues, flies in the face of the constitution and should therefore be thrown out.

The move comes after Ontario began cracking down on online gaming operator that aren't licensed in their province, with Kahnawake-licensed sites being forbidden from legally offering services inside Canada's most-populous territory.

Regarding the challenge the council wrote: "MCK has facilitated, conducted, and safely regulated gaming activities on behalf of the Mohawks of Kahnawàke for decades, and says this new regime ignores their expertise in the gaming sector, and will result in the loss of significant revenue to the community of Kahnawàke."

Kahnawake Council Chief Mike Delisle Jr added: "The plain facts are that Ontario's actions are causing a significant loss of important revenues for our community. Until these actions were taken, we were operating legally, safely and successfully across Canada. To be shut out of Ontario - by far the largest province in Canada - will have devastating effects on a source of income that has supplemented programmes and services in our community for the last two decades."

The case will be heard by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, who'll hear arguments and issue a decision. No timetable for the case to be heard was available.

About the author

Dustin Jermalowicz // News Editor
Dustin Jermalowicz
Dustin has a long-standing passion for gambling. He has been writing professionally on the subject and breaking industry news for Casino Listings since 2011. His favorite casino games include Blackjack, Poker, and Hi/Lo. A proud native of Detroit, Dustin currently lives in Michigan.