Ontario Sued For an Allegedly Unconstitutional Online Gaming Scheme

The Canadian province of Ontario is now under fire. It came as a result of its implementation of a new online gaming scheme. The problem started after the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) filed a lawsuit. The lawsuit was about the province’s new rule about online gaming.

The new scheme brings the most profits to Ontario and its agencies. Thus, leaving nothing to the affected tribal community. It will remain this way unless it abides by the new ruling, which it sees as unjust.

The community hopes to maintain the sovereignty of its online gaming license. It argues that it was part of its people’s aboriginal rights. MCK’s legal action was an eye-opener. Its fate is nothing new, especially to many tribal communities in the US.

Questionable Move

Ontario’s move caught MCK by surprise. Canada has never challenged the legality of MCK’s operations before. The online gaming industry provided jobs to many members of the community. Hence, it is something that MCK is most worried about. It has now lost one of its most significant sources of income.

Due to Ontario’s action, MCK could only continue operations once it agreed to the new rules. In this case, MCK would have to apply for a new license. This time, with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. For now, the gaming operator it owned was shut down. It is the same fate that other sites with Kahnawake licenses experienced.

Adverse Effects on the Community’s Economy

Michael Delisle, Jr., MCK’s elected Council Chief, aired the community’s side. He said the tribal community had no issues conducting operations across Canada before this move. In fact, it had a good working relationship with the province. He added that Ontario’s legal foundation was weak. However, it created a massive loss of revenue for the community. If not stopped, it would cause more problems in the community’s economy in the years to come.

With the new ruling, MCK would not get all the profits like before if it entered a deal. It is a central problem. In particular, the move would cut off its gains by 20%. It is unfair for MCK. Moreover, it’s part of the community’s right to own and operate such a platform. MCK worries that they won’t get any help from other concerned agencies from Ontario. In this case, they had no choice but to take legal action.

Bigger Issues Unlocked

On the other hand, MCK got the support of an Ontarian tribal nation. The Six Nations of the Grand River share the same sentiments as MCK. Moreover, the problem faced by MCK is a significant case. The move resulted in many other tribal nations in Canada speaking about their similar concerns. Most have ongoing regulatory disputes. They were with different Canadian provincial and federal regulatory bodies.

Many tribal-owned gaming platforms have been battling for their rights to operate in the US. As it is, they have been competing with state and federal regulators and shareholders. It is something that the US government must look into. That is if they want to avoid other similar issues raised in the future. They must find common legal grounds to benefit the government, the people, and the tribal communities involved.