A Tale of Courage - How Long Can Kahnawake Sustain What it is Fighting For?
How would a gambler know that the online casino he chooses to play with will not rip off his money? There is actually no fool proof answer to this question as there is nothing 100% sure in the internet. Online gamblers look up to a few indicators. Some would rely on the suggestion by concerned gamblers before them; others would base it on the recommendations of affiliate sites. There are also those who would base their decision on the software the casino used, and there are those who rely on the place where the casino is located. It seemed implied that if an online casinos is licensed with a reputable licensing jurisdictions, then such a casino should also be reputable. One such place that licenses online e-gaming operators is Kahnawake.
Kahnawake is an Indian reserve located at about 10 kilometers from the city of Montreal (Quebec, Canada), by the narrowing southern shore of St. Lawrence River. The word Kahnawake (pronounce as Gahnawaje), actually means in the native dialect as "by the rapids" aptly referring to the natural character of the old river. The territory, which totals 48 square kilometers in land area, is inhabited by its natives known as Mohawks. There is about 8,000 natives to the place, though a significant number of which live outside of the territory. Today, the most spoken language is English, though in the early days the Mohawks spoke Kanienkeha, the native language.
In accord with the Kahnawake Gaming Law, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission was created in June 1996, the body that licenses and regulates interactive gambling in the territory. Since then, a number of online casinos have availed of its licensing services, and the rate has continued to rise steadily. North American online casino operators have found Kahnawake an attractive hosting destination, and for many good reasons. For one, it is situated in North America, (and the only at that) so it must be up to the performance akin to first world country.
The territory actually attracted attention on July 2005 when the Law Commission of Canada questioned the legality of Kahnawake's licensing operations, since the Canadian Criminal Code prohibits online gambling. But the natives took exception, arguing that the Canadian constitution recognizes and affirms their right to do whatever they want on reservations, which include participating and regulating gambling activities.
The Canadian government didn't agree with the argument, and declared that the Kahnawake licensing operation is illegal. By far Kahnawake has sustained its courage to fight what it believed for is right amid the pressure from the Canadian government. As a result, the Canadian government is reluctant to enforce its stand, and it is even unlikely it will enforce it in the foreseeable future.

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