Kahnawake reacts to UK Whitelist exclusion

The Canadian Mohawk nation's Mohawk Council of the Kahnawake has reacted strongly to its exclusion from the UK's Department of Culture Media and Sport Whitelist. The Whitelist designates those online gaming operators, including online bingo games operators and online bingo halls, able to advertise in the UK.

The Kahnawake Gaming Commission is deeply disappointed saying in a statement that Kahnawake enjoys a "...long-standing reputation as the world leader in Internet regulatory compliance and enforcement".  The organization has contrasted their status with the recently whitelisted Tasmania, "....which has no such history."

A popular choice with many online bingo operators, Kahnawake will be acutely aware some operators will probably choose a more UK-friendly commission to go with.

"Despite having been the first jurisdiction to accept and implement the world-recognized eCOGRA standard, the implementation of a mandatory continuous compliance policy, and our consistent enforcement of what may very well be the world's most stringent due diligence program, our name has not been added to the U.K.'s exclusive white list," the Kahnawake statement continued.

"Kahnawake has concerns regarding the process undertaken by the U.K. authority and has initiated inquiries to ascertain whether the application was afforded fair and objective consideration, which at this point, we do not believe was the case."

Despite the setback, Kahnawake says it remains committed to the principle of a regulatory approach to the enforcement of the Internet gaming industry.