Thursday, March 22, 2007

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Native band firm on Internet casino hosting plans

By Erin Warner

Running a massive online casino operation from the Alexander First Nation in Alberta, Canada, is a sovereign right for which the band is willing to fight in the courts, says its chief.

Despite receiving a warning from the province's Solicitor General to abandon its plans of hosting offshore gaming companies, the band has indicated it will be moving forward, reports the Edmonton Journal.

The Alexander First Nation says it has already been approached by several gambling sites, and has constructed a data center for accommodating the firms.

But the provincial government is looking to rein in the band by issuing a "cease and desist" order.

Solicitor General Fred Lindsay told the Journal that online casinos are outlawed in Alberta, and federal law allows the province to enforce the Criminal Code related to illegal gaming activity.

The band's chief, Raymond Arcand, stated in a Wednesday press release that gaming is part of the Alexander First Nation's heritage and that he would be willing to defend the case in court.

A similar enterprise has already been established by the Kahnawake band in Quebec, however the government has yet to lay charges against it.

Related Article: Internet Gambling Faceoff Brewing in Alberta

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