Poker players at a Montreal-area poker room were recently shown the door as the venue closed. Authorities in the Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) community in the Kahnawake District allege that the Magic Palace poker room was operating gaming machines illegally and also engaged in other crimes.
The poker room management denied these accusations, but the room was left closed. Kahnawake peacekeepers (tribal law enforcement) entered the poker room on March 25 and asked players to exit the building while officers closed the facility and the adjacent restaurant.
“Closing community businesses is always a last resort,” said Cody Diabo, Head of Gaming Portfolio. “However, the allegations of conduct disclosed in court records created serious concerns for the court MCKOur most important responsibility as a governing body is to protect the health and safety of our community.
The owners deny the accusations
The closure came after the Kahnawake Gaming Commission alleged that Magic Palace was operating electronic gaming machines without a legal contract with the Mohawk Council that were also “being used to commit money laundering and other crimes.”
the KGC It has licensed and regulated online and land-based gaming within Kahnawake since 1996. This included online poker sites such as Full Tilt Poker and Absolute Poker.
“The results of the investigation revealed the existence of an undisclosed beneficial owner of Magic Palace, who exercised significant degrees of control over the enterprise and received the majority of the interests.” KGC He said.
the KGC He said several investigations had been conducted at the property over the past few months. However, the Magic Palace owners say the commission received false information from the RCMP during the agency’s investigation. That includes Information about a Montreal resident named Luftar Hysa.
“They were there for about a year, and this stems from the fact that Mr. Hessa, who is an investor, had some claims in Mexico where he owns some casinos,” said Pierre Lecoyer, Magic Palace’s lawyer. CTV. “Mr. Hessa has been completely exonerated and it was clear that these allegations were made because people in the same business wanted Mr. Hessa out of business.
L’Ecuyer said the poker room did not violate any laws and noted that the casino plans to appeal the ruling even to the Quebec Superior Court if necessary.
“There has been no criminal offense at all, no prostitution, no loan sharking, nothing has happened since the establishment of Magic Palace,” he said.
