“participation of Indigenous peoples in the gaming industry and the regulation of that industry across Canada”. The consultations referenced in Minister Lametti’s letter have yet to occur. What are the key advantages for an online gaming operator to locate in Kahnawàke? Kahnawà:ke is one of the oldest and most reputable online gaming jurisdictions in the world. The KGC has created a robust and well-respected and regulated by the KGC. With 75 tables, Playground Poker is home to some of the largest poker events in Canada. More recently, Kahnawà:ke’s terrestrial gaming industry has been supplemented by over 1,000 electronic gaming devices. Over the past 25 years, Kahnawá:ke has successfully filled the vacuum created by Québec’s refusal to share any part of the province’s gaming industry with Indigenous peoples. Rather than be shut out, Kahnawá:ke has built its own successful, well-regulated online and terrestrial gaming industry, which has generated significant revenue for the community and created hundreds of jobs for residents of Kahnawá:ke and surrounding communities. Kahnawà:ke’s jurisdiction to conduct, facilitate and regulate gaming has never been challenged by any governmental agency. In April 2021, referencing the 1985 agreement, David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, sent an open letter to all Indigenous nations, communities and organisations, seeking their views on the In Canada, all eyes are presently on Ontario and its recent iGaming initiative. gaming environment that gives players confidence that they can trust sites licensed by the KGC. The KGC’s licensing process is thorough but sensitive to operators’ budgets and timelines. Once licensed by the KGC, operators have access to the state-of-the-art facilities offered by MIT. As an Indigenous jurisdiction, Kahnawà:ke charges no tax on the operations of KGC licensees. Located 20 minutes from Montréal, operators located in Kahnawà:ke have easy access to the human and technological resources available in a large cosmopolitan, bilingual city. 74 LAWYERMONTHLYDECEMBER 2022
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