MCK officially approves preliminary explorations into land-based gaming

04/26/2011

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke announced that Chief & Council have unanimously passed the Request for Decision tabled at today’s (Tuesday) Council Meeting that will start a preliminary process to explore the possibility of building and operating a community-owned land-based gaming project.

The research is being conducted to address the growing shortfalls in Government funding of essential communal services such as education, community infrastructure, and other programs.

Phase One research will begin immediately. An internal working group is to be formed to review previous proposals and studies related to land-based gaming and to present the information to Chief & Council. This portion of the work will be conducted in-house at no added cost. Upon completion, it would be decided whether or not to move ahead to Phase Two research, which would include more comprehensive and detailed research and consultation.

Phase Three (should the process reach this level) would be determined later.

A set of ‘Guiding Principles’ is being utilized from the very beginning of this process, consisting of the following:
   
1. The collective must be the prime beneficiary;
2. No lands slated for residential development will be used;
3. Community members shall receive a dividend;
4. Social impacts of gaming will be addressed through immediate and effective measures;
5. There will be independent community management of both the business and the gaming profits. In effect, a communal treasury would be developed.

Please note, once again, that today’s actions only allow for the preliminary research to begin. It is clearly NOT a decision to build a land-based gaming facility.