60 Percent of World's Online Gambling Runs Through Mohawk Controlled ServersCitizenLink.com and its focus on the family claims that 60 percent of the world's online gambling traffic is run through Mohawk controlled servers in the Kahnawake region just outside Quebec, Canada. Among those the website says Kahnawake is responsible for: Golden Palace, the online casino known for its elaborate stunts in paying streakers to run around the fields at major sporting events wearing only a Golden Palace tattoo. That online gambling website was recently fined $2 million, but the family action group feels that is not a strong enough penalty.
Chad Hills, analyst for gambling research and policy at Focus on the Family Action, said the Internet gambling industry is “out of control,” and Canadian and American policymakers need to establish “clear policies or effective oversight for tribal gambling operations.”
The folks from Kahnawake have been on public relations overdrive this week, however, claiming that Golden Palace has nothing to do with them.
"Actually, as these events have little, if anything to do with the Jurisdiction of the Mohawks of Kahnawake, it has not been an issue for us," Chuck Barnett, Board of Supervisors for Mohawk Internet Technologies, told Gambling911.com this weekend. "My understanding is that these offices (Golden Palace) were located well into the City of Ville St. Laurent, a borough of Montreal. And it was the offices of CyberWorld Group (CWG) that were raided. This entity is not licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission."
Family Focus Demands Action
Focus on the Family uses time-tested, Biblical principles and common sense. Their mission is to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with as many people as possible by nurturing and defending the God-ordained institution of the family and promoting biblical truths worldwide while redeeming families, communities, and societies worldwide through Christ.
Chad Hills, analyst for gambling research and policy at Focus on the Family Action, said the Internet gambling industry is “out of control,” and Canadian and American policymakers need to establish “clear policies or effective oversight for tribal gambling operations.”
“We need citizens to submit comments to our government about Internet gambling before Dec. 12,” Hills said. “We have more than 800 casinos and 42 lotteries in the United States. The last place we need more gambling is in our homes.”
But in dealing with Internet issues under the guise of "child protection" and "family values", lawmakers often do more harm than good.
Joe Brennan, Jr. of iMEGA.org, an organization founded to push for freedom of the Web, believes it is "irrational" to allow government bureaucrats policing of the Internet.
"Governments in the United States should avoid long-term damage from ill-conceived, politically-motivated short-term "fixes" to online social problems by instead turning and embracing and innovation," said Brennan, Jr., commenting on the US Government's recent push towards quashing social networking websites. "America's ability time and again to grow innovative solutions is a more likely path to remedies than is overpromising, overreaching, and (ultimately) ineffective government action that sometimes, ironically, serves to make things worse."
For some, like Josh Keihl, a missionary now living in Spain, online poker offered a quick fix
But is Gambling Really Wrong?
Payton O'Brien, Senior Editor of Gambling911.com says "No".
"Gambling can be defined as “risking money in an attempt to multiply the money on something that is against the odds.” The Bible does not specifically condemn gambling, betting, or the lottery. Therefore it is all right to gamble, just don't do so over your head."
While the Bible does not explicitly mention gambling, it does mention games of "luck" or "chance." As an example, casting lots is used in Leviticus to choose between the sacrificial goat and the scapegoat. Joshua cast lots to determine the allotment of land to the various tribes. Nehemiah cast lots to determine who would live inside the walls of Jerusalem and who wouldn’t. The apostles cast lots to determine the replacement for Judas. Proverbs 16:33 says, “The lot is cast in the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.” Nowhere in the Bible is gambling or "chance" used for entertainment or presented as an acceptable practice for followers of God.
Using this interpretation of the Bible, Wall Street stock trading should also be condemned.
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Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher
Originally published December 6, 2007 7:11 am EST
