KGC issue response to the Absolute Poker cheating scandal.

The latest chapter in the ongoing fiasco involving the Kahnawake Gaming Commission and Tokwiro Enterprises (Absolute Poker/Ultimatebet) has opened and…er…closed again.

As the industry eagerly awaited the KGC’s response to more Tokwiro employees cheating clients out of millions of dollars, Murray Marshall (legal counsel for the KGC) sidestepped any immediate direct penalty and announced an independent investigation into the affair by Catania Gaming Consultants Inc. The KGC will then review the investigation and act on any findings.

With an investigation into both Absolute Poker and Ultimatebet that could run into months, it leaves Tokwiro to continue trading unencumbered by any kind of limitation or legislative constraint. Considering they’ve just announced the implementation of their new CEREUS software platform for both brands this must have them dancing in the aisles at Tokwiro.

There can be little doubt that Frank Catania has both the credentials and integrity to head such an investigation but there is more to this than meets the eye. Frank Catania is the former New Jersey State Gaming Regulator and very, very well respected within the industry…but…

Following the implementation of the Kahnawake Gaming Law, the KGC was set up under the auspice of Chief Joe Norton (now owner of Tokwiro Enterprises Inc. and Mohawk Internet Technologies Inc.). However, both Frank Catania and Murray Marshall were instrumental in producing the draft resolutions for…the KGC.

If nothing else one has to question the judgment of the KGC in their choice of investigator.

Could this be seen as a conflict of interest? There will doubtless be those arguing from both sides of the fence.

Personally I feel Frank Catania will provide a detailed and impartial enquiry into Tokwiro Enterprises. It’s in his interest to do so. He currently runs Catania Gaming Consultants Inc. and is senior partner in the law firm of Catania and Associates LLC. When Congress votes next year on the reintroduction of online US gaming, there will be the need for an independent commission on both viability and implementation. If Catania prove to be as effective as everyone (well, nearly everyone) hopes they are, they will place themselves very firmly in pole position for the industry legislator.

So, after everyone was expecting severe punishments for Tokwiro it’s essentially business as usual. Surprise, surprise.

By the way, if the KGC or Catania want the names of about twenty people involved in the scandal along with details of their locations and, in some instances, documentary evidence by all means give me a call. After all, I’m only one of about a thousand other people who’ve got such information.