KAHNAWAKE gets thumbs down.

Rusty

Banned User - repetitive flaming
Joined
Jul 23, 2006
Location
Manchester UK
The UK Goverment has given the Kahnawake reservation application to be whitelisted a thumbs down.

(Whitelist is an informal term used to describe those jurisdictions that have succeeded in their application to advertise their online casinos in the UK)

From the Gambling commission;

4. Whitelisting announcement



The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has now confirmed that Tasmania will be added to the ‘Whitelist’ of countries or jurisdictions allowed to advertise remote gambling in the UK as if it were an EEA state. This decision follows a reconsideration of Tasmania’s application after the introduction of amending legislation to their tax regime. A full assessment of their application was made to ensure it met the Government’s ‘Whitelisting’ criteria published in January 2007.



Regulations have been laid in Parliament and will come into effect in 21 days time on 31 January 2008. After this date, gambling operators licensed in Tasmania will be able to advertise their remote gambling services in the United Kingdom.



After careful assessment of their representations against the published criteria, the Secretary of State has also decided not to whitelist Kahnawke (Canadian reservation) or Antigua


I wonder what that assessment was?

Here is a possible clue;
Part of the criteria for a successful application is that
"Any jurisdiction outside of the EEA and Gibraltar must demonstrate that they have a satisfactory regulatory regime in place."

Perhaps a little mischievous as there other possible reasons but what reason would be good one?
 
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Thanks Rusty for this.

I'd like to know if there were specific reasons behind this (the Kahnawake thing) :rolleyes:

I'm definitely not surprised, Kahnawake...no matter their good intentions or server capabilities, they are not very useful when it comes to player grievances. I would expect this with some newbie jurisdiction, but these guys have been around since day one.
 
This story is just out in the Gambling Commission's newsletter, and will undoubtedly evoke much industry comment and perhaps not a little player satisfaction, given the lack of player sensitivity and some of the decisions the Kahnawake and Antigua jurisdictions have made over the years.

Antigua was pretty confident about their chances of getting a whitelisting in their national publicity attempts last year, and this will probably be an unexpected blow for them. The Kahnawakes probably don't give a stuff, unless it impacts on their licencing revenues.

I'm not sure how many more changes of licencing jurisdiction this announcement will trigger ....I think a lot of companies have already switched to the EEA and other whitelisted authorities.
 
Brian could you correct my spelling in the headline please.
Thanks

I have written to the gambling commisison asking if it is possible to get some more specific information regarding this as there are many Casinos under the Kahnawake umbrella.
I know many people already know of their bad reputation but when the UK Government is turning them down then it is time to take notice.
 
I wonder how much the Absolute Poker cheating scandal had to do with this decision?
I would guess not too much since the UK Gaming Commission began their review some time ago. But it may be a factor.

My guess it's politics. Even though the Queen is on their (the Mohawks) money, they don't get in. Boo hoo. :(
 
I wonder how much the Absolute Poker cheating scandal had to do with this decision?

Hard to say but I think everybody should know that by playing at a Casino licensed by Kahnawake the games may or may not be fair but either way the Kahnawake gaming commission couldn't care less.

The fight continues...
 
ONLINE POKER SCANDAL FINALISED?

KGC imposes half million dollar fine on Absolute Poker

With little fanfare, and buried three clicks deep on an uncopyable .pdf file, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission announced its findings on the Absolute Poker cheating scandal on January 11, effectively bringing to a close one of the worst cheating incidents yet in Internet poker (see previous InfoPowa reports)

The statement starts with a brief overview of the history of the incident, referring to cheating play as "impugned activities." It goes on to advise that the KGC commissioned its "approved agent" Gaming Associates to investigate the issue in a 10 week project that included enquiries at AP's diverse locations, with the objective of ensuring any prejudiced players were reimbursed, measures were taken to prevent a recurrence and to ascertain whether AP had contravened any Kahnawake regulations.

Following a more than 2 week study of the Gaming Associates report, the KGC's findings are included in the statement. The document is remarkable in that it does not detail those responsible, who clearly were closely involved in AP's affairs. Nor does it provide details of total compensation or whether criminal charges were placed, and there is no technical detail on how the cheating was accomplished.

The findings of the KGC are listed as:

* From August 14 2007 over a period of 6 weeks certain player accounts were used to cheat other players in live games at Absolute Poker using software that enabled the cheaters to view the hole cards of their opponents, resulting in unfair play.

* The accounts responsible for the cheating are named as Graycat, Payup, Steamroller, Potripper, XXCashmoneyXX aka SupercardM55, Doubledrag and RonfalcoXXB aka Romnaldo. AP has been directed to remove the individuals behind these account names from playing any role in future AP affairs, suggesting that those involved were insiders or closely associated with the poker room.

* Persons "associated with Absolute Poker's operations" deleted certain key gaming logs after the cheating, a move which hampered but did not preclude a finding being reached. Other than this, AP cooperated during the investigation.

* Gaming Associates found no evidence that AP as a corporate entity was involved in the cheating either at director or "principal ownership" level.

* However, the unidentified principals behind Absolute Poker failed to contact the KGC within 24 hours of discovering the incident as required by licensing regulations.

* Gaming Associates found that AP made "expeditious efforts" to appropriately reimburse those players prejudiced, with interest. KGC urges any aggrieved player not yet paid to contact the Commission, which will ensure the complaint is addressed by AP. There is a 60 day window for this, commencing 11 January 2008.

* The finding certifies that Absolute Poker has taken appropriate but unspecified action to address the vulnerability in its systems.

Accordingly the KGC finds that Absolute Poker breached certain Kahnawake regulations regarding dishonest play, failure to report within 24 hours and not keeping game logs for 5 years after an incident.

The consequences for Absolute Poker are both pecuniary and compliance related.

* AP is to be randomly audited by KGC over the next two years at AP's cost. The company is enjoined to immediately implement a "continuous compliance program" and remedial measures as directed by KGC.

* Those (presumably in-house) persons responsible for the "impugned activities" are to be permanently removed from office.

* Absolute Poker is to post an unspecified "security deposit" with the KGC valid for two years to offset the cost of any further breaches of Kahnawake law, and the company is to pay all costs associated with the Gaming Associates investigation.

* Finally, a fine of US$ 500 000 is imposed on AP, to be paid within the next 60 days.

The statement is signed by the chairman of the KGC, David Montour and two Commissioners, Melanie Mayo and Kevin Kennedy.

The online poker player community will be less than happy at the lack of detail in the KGC statement, especially regarding confirmation of how the cheating was accomplished, who was involved and what criminal charges have been attempted.

Only time will tell if Absolute Poker will regain the trust and acceptance of the market.
 
Wow! What a bunch of crap.

Sweep it under the carpet, sooner forgotten the better... BULLSHIT!

They cheated players and now they are trying to make it go away.

This whole thing leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I wish I was never associated with Absolute Poker in the first place... Bunch of damn thieves.
 
Wow! What a bunch of crap.

Sweep it under the carpet, sooner forgotten the better... BULLSHIT!

They cheated players and now they are trying to make it go away.
I know you say "WOW" but prolly just for emphasis. You had to know with the accountabilty and transparency (not to to say most of the characters) in the online industry that this report and the courses of action taken to date in this situation or any other related for that matter was highly predictable.
 
I know you say "WOW" but prolly just for emphasis.
Actually I was amazed that KGC and AP are so blatant in their attempted "White Washing" of the cheating scandal.

I can't believe these guys really think that this non-report will satisfy anyone, (anyone that is, that does not have their hands in AP's pockets).
 
Actually I was amazed that KGC and AP are so blatant in their attempted "White Washing" of the cheating scandal.

I can't believe these guys really think that this non-report will satisfy anyone, (anyone that is, that does not have their hands in AP's pockets).
Now I am amazed that you are amazed!:D
 
:sniper:This pisses me off no end... And what about criminal charges against the individuals (Graycat, etc.) that did this??? So, AP tells them, "Booo.... shame on you, you weren't sly enough and the players caught on. You're fired. Bye." and all is well?

Bullhockey!!

P.S. .... Mussy posted a link to the actual PDF file of the report in the Poker Room AP thread. LINKY But Jetset has it down pat. I was hoping for more -- ok so I'm sometimes delusional. :rolleyes:
 
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Too much to say about AP and Kahnawakes handling so I will let others do that.

That is a very interesting link Jetset and the following information ties in rather nicely with my Bodog lower payouts thread too.;

If all goes according to plan, Morris will soon run the North American operations of Bodog, one of the largest and most notorious gambling sites on the Internet. Started by Calvin Ayre, the brash Saskatchewan-born self-proclaimed billionaire, Bodog is an online "lifestyle brand" whose gaming sites processed about US$7 billion in wagers last year alone. Through his company, Morris will pay Bodog an undisclosed sum for the right to handle customer service, media relations, and Internet traffic, along with millions of dollars in bets, for Bodog's North American operations.

Article end of November and come December Bodog payouts drop dramatically, a weird coincidence that.
 
And what about criminal charges against the individuals (Graycat, etc.)
You mean what happened to charges against Tom Scott, the co founder of Absolute Poker and the person that perpetrated the theft..

Well... I'll bet the criminal charges against Tom Scott and the others that were involved in the thefts are in the same place as Kahnawake Gaming Commission ethics are... The toilet.
 
Hhm, is hart to whitelist a toilet for the UK Government. Perhaps this is the required pressure to rebuild "the toilet" in order to become whitelisted.
 
I did some reseach and found inter alia this information:
Published: Friday, January 11, 2008 Online-Casinos.com

KAHNAWAKE APPLICATION FOR WHITELISTING IN UK FAILS

British Gambling Commission admits Tasmania but rejects Canadian First Nation and the Antiguans

The latest newsletter from Britain's Gambling Commission carries the news that the Canadian First Nation enclave of Kahnawake, licensing jurisdiction and server home for hundreds of online gambling companies, will not be white-listed for purposes of advertising in the UK.

No specific reason for the rejection is given, but the Mohawks of Kahnawake have been the target of player criticism regarding poor communications for years, and the jurisdiction has made some controversial judgements in its time. Antigua has similarly been accused of poor response levels to complaints from players, and has been centre stage for some time in the industry due to its public WTO dispute with the United States.

Reporting the rejection, the newsletter merely advises: "After careful assessment of their representations against the published criteria, the Secretary of State has also decided not to whitelist Kahnawke (Canadian reservation) or Antigua."

The good news was for the Tasmanian government, as the UK government's Department of Culture, Media and Sport confirmed that Tasmania will be added to the Whitelist of countries or jurisdictions allowed to advertise remote gambling in the UK as if it were an EEA state.

This decision follows a reconsideration of Tasmanias application after the introduction of amending legislation to their tax regime. A full assessment of their application was made to ensure it met the Governments Whitelisting criteria published in January 2007.

Regulations have been laid in Parliament and will come into effect in 21 days time on 31 January 2008. After this date, gambling operators licensed in Tasmania will be able to advertise their remote gambling services in the United Kingdom.

The States of Alderney and the Isle of Man are the only two other jurisdictions to have previously been added to the whitelist. An announcement was made on this decision in August 2007.

The effect of these decisions is that only gambling operators licensed in EEA countries (including Gibraltar and Malta), Alderney, Isle of Man or Tasmania can lawfully advertise gambling in the UK.

The decision will undoubtedly cause online companies licensed by Antigua and Kahnawake to reconsider their position and perhaps join the trend which emerged last year whereby companies switched licensing to EEA jurisdictions.

One important additional information I found in the Internet.
Pokerstars has already a license of the Ilse of Man and is whitelisted in the UK.
 
I did some reseach and found inter alia this information:


One important additional information I found in the Internet.
Pokerstars has already a license of the Ilse of Man and is whitelisted in the UK.

Pokerstars, like any other site have had cheating. Thats just an unfortunate side of online gambling. They take a hard stance on this. As a site, they get 100% respect. They could have probably swept a lot of things under the carpet to save their good name, but they took the stance and outed the players involved, probably at their detriment. I would feel comfortable telling any player about that site
 
Maybe, just maybe informed and unbiased sites like this and others will dissuade enough players from playing at sites "regulated" by Kahnawake so that any online Casino that wishes to be respected will seek to be licensed elsewhere (not Antigua)
If not by morality then my market forces. :rolleyes:
 
Maybe, just maybe informed and unbiased sites like this and others will dissuade enough players from playing at sites "regulated" by Kahnawake so that any online Casino that wishes to be respected will seek to be licensed elsewhere (not Antigua)
If not by morality then my market forces. :rolleyes:

There was a statement the other day about Americans not caring...

Look at our lot, mohawks or bust.

Yanks don't have much choice these days.

Sucks
 
ABSOLUTE ONLINE POKER ACCEPTS KGC FINDINGS

Damage control on steroids as online poker site tries to regain credibility

Absolute Poker was perhaps predictably in full damage control mode in responding over the weekend to the Kahnawake Gaming Commission findings on its cheating scandal (see previous InfoPowa reports) In a statement released to carefully selected media, the troubled site acknowledged "...the completeness and accuracy of the KGC conclusions."

Judging by initial reactions on player message boards there are many that will argue that statement. Numerous posts have been made criticising the KGC for the lack of detail in its published findings regarding those responsible, how the scam worked and what action has been taken against the fraudsters.

The main penalty imposed by the Commission requires Absolute Poker to pay a fine of US$ 500 000 within 60 days, and the firm has to foot the bill for the investigation by Gaming Associates triggered by the Commission. It will also be required to place a deposit, the value of which is not disclosed, with the Commission for 2 years against future conduct, and will be randomly audited at its expense. Other more precautionary restraints include a requirement to implement a "continuance compliance program" which is not detailed, remove permanently from office those responsible for the debacle, and activate a remedial program.

The Absolute Poker statement accepting the KGC findings and penalties says: "After reviewing the published report, we recognize the completeness and accuracy of the KGC conclusions, and we accept without reservation the KGCs findings and sanctions. Most importantly, we are pleased, after these many months, that Absolute Poker can finally put behind it a most distressing and regrettable experience for the Company, its employees, and its customers."

The company goes on to use the opportunity to reiterate that it has paid off those players prejudiced by the cheating, repaired the vulnerability in its systems which it claims made the scam possible and has appointed a team "to improve controls and install safeguards."

The statement lays emphasis on the findings that "there is no evidence to indicate that the impugned activities were initiated or sanctioned by APor were intended to benefit AP, as a corporate entity" and the "inadvertent deletion of certain gaming logs and records during the course of the investigation."

Absolute Poker also uses the statement as a platform to announce that it is to introduce a series of "poker security summits" starting January 18 to which "respected and independent members of the poker community" will be invited in order to "focus on innovative and cutting-edge ways to further improve APs security and enhance its transparency."

Concluding with a general apology, Absolute Poker's statement says it regrets the damage done to its players and to its reputation by the incident.

"We acknowledge that the Company did not act with sufficient speed to uncover the fraud; however, once we were convinced of the veracity of the allegations, we moved quickly to inform the KGC and to reimburse affected players. While AP is paying a severe penalty for the fraud perpetrated upon the Company and its customers, we are gratified that we can now close the book on this sordid affair.

The KGC findings released Friday included the following:

* From August 14 2007 over a period of 6 weeks certain player accounts were used to cheat other players in live games at Absolute Poker using software that enabled the cheaters to view the hole cards of their opponents, resulting in unfair play.

* The accounts responsible for the cheating are named as Graycat, Payup, Steamroller, Potripper, XXCashmoneyXX aka SupercardM55, Doubledrag and RonfalcoXXB aka Romnaldo. AP has been directed to remove the individuals behind these account names from playing any role in future AP affairs.

* Persons "associated with Absolute Poker's operations" deleted certain key gaming logs after the cheating, a move which hampered but did not preclude a finding being reached. Other than this, AP cooperated during the investigation.

* Gaming Associates found no evidence that AP as a corporate entity was involved in the cheating either at director or "principal ownership" level.

* However, the unidentified principals behind Absolute Poker failed to contact the KGC within 24 hours of discovering the incident as required by licensing regulations.

* Gaming Associates found that AP made "expeditious efforts" to appropriately reimburse those players prejudiced, with interest. KGC urges any aggrieved player not yet paid to contact the Commission, which will ensure the complaint is addressed by AP. There is a 60 day window for this, commencing 11 January 2008.

* The finding certifies that Absolute Poker has taken appropriate but unspecified action to address the vulnerability in its systems.
 

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