Kahnawake Gaming Commission & Isle of Man Issue Statements on Friday's Poker Indictments
On Tuesday, April 19, 2011, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission issued a statement regarding the indictments issued by the U.S. Department of Justice in the Southern District of New York against three online poker companies (PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, and Absolute Poker) on Friday, April 15, 2011.
If you recall, Absolute Poker’s primary gaming license is issued by Kahnawake; as such, the KGC said its “principal concern is that players are not adversely affected by the actions taken by US authorities. The KGC is presently engaged in discussions with its licensee concerning the status of player accounts. Upon completion of its review, the KGC will determine what steps may be required and will issue a further statement at that time.”
The Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake is a sovereign jurisdiction located just outside Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Kahnawake Gaming Commission was established in 1996 and has been continuously licensing and regulating online gaming since July,1999.
Likewise, the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission issued the following statement in regard to PokerStars:
"Following developments on Friday 15th April, the Commission is aware of documentation issued by authorities in the USA which makes allegations against PokerStars and some of its personnel. While we are discussing the matter on an ongoing basis with PokerStars and watching developments, we can confirm that PokerStars’ licensing status in the Isle of Man remains unchanged."
"We are aware that PokerStars have suspended the availability of cash-play games in the USA and we are currently endeavouring to ensure that any player who wishes to withdraw money from their account can do so."
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