1. 
   Kevin Mathers says:
   July 24th, 2008 at 1:19pm
   

   Looks like AP and UB are working together, again:

   http://tinyurl.com/ap-ub-merge

2. 
   California Jen says:
   July 24th, 2008 at 1:23pm
   

   Oh lord.

   If you are a site trying to overcome a scandal and repair your reputation, what should you do? Join forces with your sister company who has the same problems! Yes, two scandal-ridden companies joined together equal one big PR field day.

3. 
   Tropical Steve says:
   July 24th, 2008 at 2:48pm
   

   Oh, you cannot be Cereus.

4. 
   Poker Shrink says:
   July 24th, 2008 at 2:54pm
   

   “Our ears are perked, KGC.”

   I hope you have some ear viagra to keep them up because coming soon usually means, we ain’t figured it out yet.

5. 
   California Jen says:
   July 24th, 2008 at 3:05pm
   

   Tropical Steve – LOL!

   Shrink, I do have ear viagra, but do not ask me why. 😉

6. 
   DanM says:
   July 24th, 2008 at 4:56pm
   

   Why am I always being the apologist for the AP/UB sides? I dunno, I gotta think this memo seems pretty sincere. I mean the KGC KNOWS they are under hyperheavy scrutiny with anything they say. What else could they say but the above? I’m willing to give them the benefit of the doubt for now … suspicious eye still half-cocked of course.

   Everybody loves to get up in arms, but did anyone from the public/media ask to watch them do their job for a day, or visit the Mohawk Nation? If we had done that, then I think it’s fair game to crucify them freely no matter what they say. but right now, we have to let them have their say, because they’re pretty much all we got right now when it comes to getting any information that may or may not be relevant to our cherished poker security. i mean shit, this is the wild-unregulated-techno-west right now … we screamed, they responded … what more do you want, other than for someone to snap their fingers and make it all go away?

   And who else is Absolute/UB gonna pair up with? It’s not like Full Tilt or PokerStars would ever take them on as a partner. Cake Poker maybe? And if the KGC didn’t at least compare notes on these two sites, ….

   OK, wow, never mind … i just read kevin’s link from above. you can theoretically ignore everything i just said.

7. 
   Chuck Barnett says:
   July 24th, 2008 at 8:34pm
   

   Good Evening Folks,

   My name is Chuck Barnett and I am a member of the Board of Supervisors of Mohawk Internet Technologies, the licensed cohosting facility of the Kahnawa:ke Mohawk Territory where all KGC licensed operators are required to colocate their online operations. Although I am primarily responsible for overseeing the operation and management of the utility company, I am also the former Administrator for the KGC and have the experience of having been responsible for the enforcement and compliance of the KGC’s Rules and Regulations Concerning Interactive Gaming.

   I have recently agreed to assist the Commission in the task of interfacing with the online poker communities when/where possible and to extend assistance where possible.

   Clearly the internet is a large “place” and I cannot be everywhere at once nor be available 24/7, but I will do my best where I can, so please feel free to contact me.

   I only ask that we try and keep everything mature and mutually respectful, as I have witnessed a number of “forum threads” in recent memory degenerate into society in its most primitive form.

   Tho Niiowennake.
   (These are my words)

   Chuck Barnett
   Board of Supervisors
   Mohawk Internet Technologies
   Kahnawa:ke Mohawk Territory

8. 
   DanM says:
   July 24th, 2008 at 9:03pm
   

   Thanks for getting in touch Chuck. I thought you might. Lemme tell ya, it’s tough sometimes, but we do our best here to be open-minded and intelligent (while not losing touch with visceral reactions that are based on real human emotions). Mutually respectful you will get. Mature … um … maybe?

   OK, I kid. Ultimately all of us just want a better understanding of the issues you happen to deal with (presumably) on a daily basis, because they do affect our lives — either directly or indirectly. And I think most of our active readers/commenters are smart enough to understand that a semi-anonymous “you suck!” doesn’t advance the conversation in any meaningful way. And at the same time, because of this, they won’t take everything you or anyone else from KGC/UB/AP (Cereus?) at face value. I hope you’re OK with that.

9. 
   BJ Nemeth says:
   July 25th, 2008 at 2:10pm
   

   I certainly don’t envy your job, Chuck, but I can promise that you will always get a fair shake and an open ear from me. I’m not known for being one to jump to conclusions. (And I save the name-calling for my friends and family.)

10. 
    Chuck Barnett says:
    July 25th, 2008 at 3:17pm
    

    Thank you for taking the time to welcome me here, I appreciate your hospitality.

    Just so we’re on the same page (so to speak), I am not a member of the Kahnawa:ke Gaming Commission, nor am I an employee of the Commission, I merely engage with them on a regular basis as the result of my position with Mohawk Internet Technologies. Realizing that there is a need for more effective communication with the online poker community, I’ve agreed to assist them on my own time in establishing better lines of communication with the community.

    To bring you up to speed with where I am, I have not been a part of the ongoing investigation into the events of the past few months until about 3-4 days ago when I offered to assist them.

    The past 72 hours have been something of a crash course for me, as I’ve poured through reams of data and investigative summaries and members of the Commission and it’s support staff have brought me up to speed.

    With that said, I was taken aback at the complexity and scope of the investigation and can appreciate for myself the man-hours and resources which have been committed to the process. Keep in mind, that I do not deal with the licensed operators at a regulatory level, and as a result have not been part of the process.

    Simply put, its Friday night and Im STILL trying to mentally process everything I’ve taken in over the past 3 VERY long days.

    While Im not empowered to examine issues specific to the investigation until everything is wrapped up and findings released, I can hopefully provide some insight into the regulatory system, the environment and perhaps some of the processes involved.

    You folks have a contact within the Kahnawa:ke Jurisdiction in me, and you can feel free to post me a message if you think I might be able to assist and I will do what I can, ok?

    All that I ask is that folks please just dont type in ALL CAPS without punctuation and resist the urge to incite any off-the-wall “tinfoil hat” type conspiracies, as Im still just one man, doing his best to assist in his free time.

    Nia:wen
    (I extend my thanks)

    Chuck Barnett
    Board of Supervisors,
    Mohawk Internet Technologies

11. 
    DanM says:
    July 26th, 2008 at 6:01am
    

    OK, Chuck here’s my first round of questions for you …

    1. What does an investigation process entail, and what is the motivation for the KGC to undertake such a (presumably) expensive effort?

    2. Is it a matter of good business, or staying legally clean for the KGC?

    3. Because there is a connection — whether current or not — between KGC and Tokwiro Enterprises, why wouldn’t the KGC bring in an independent third party to conduct the investigations?

    4. Where does the new Cereus fit in to all of this?

    5. The KGC says:

    The KGC’s success as a regulator is evidenced by the fact that a significant percentage of the online gaming industry has chosen to locate and operate within Kahnawá:ke.

    Do they really expect that argument to fly? I can almost guarantee these operations would choose to locate and operate south of the Canadian border if they had that option. (No offense to Canada.) Full disclosure: I find this statement kinda funny just because I happen to have an infomercial on in the background right now claiming that Extenze penis-lengthening pills obviously work, because if not, why would they have sold so many? A sucker’s born every second.

    6. The KGC says:

    Given the length of time that it has regulated this new industry and the significant number of licensees under its control, the KGC’s record has been exemplary.

    How long have they regulated “this new industry”, and how many licenses are under its control? A few years? A few dozen? Or more like 20 years and hundreds?

    7. The KGC says:

    Both of these objectives have been accomplished – as evidenced by the fact that the recent concerns that have been raised about the Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet matters are not being driven by affected players.

    This seems a very good point. But doubters will say it’s pretty easy to silence people with some money. I know that in far bigger scandals I’ve looked into, this has been the case. Were there any agreements of any form signed by anyone who received fiscal compensation for damages that may or may not have been suffered in connection to their dealings with AP or UB? A simple yes or no to this question will suffice.

    Thanks in advance for what you can tell us.

12. 
    DanM says:
    July 26th, 2008 at 6:10am
    

    Oh, also …

    Throughout its history, the KGC has met these challenges and its regulations have been emulated in a number of other jurisdictions around the world.Throughout its history, the KGC has met these challenges and its regulations have been emulated in a number of other jurisdictions around the world.

    I was not aware of that. Interesting. Where else have the KGC’s regulations been emulated, and for what industries?

13. 
    Chuck Barnett says:
    July 26th, 2008 at 6:22am
    

    Whoooah, easy Dan. Its early, I havent had coffee and Ive got a long day ahead of me. How about picking one question for the moment, and I’ll answer it.

    Then, we’ll take it from there.

    Dont worry Im not going anywhere…

    😉

14. 
    California Jen says:
    July 26th, 2008 at 8:43am
    

    Hi, Chuck… Maybe I can lend a hand here. Can you first tell us a little about the investigation? For example, when did it officially begin, how many investigators are involved, and how much time (per day or week) has been put into it?

15. 
    DanM says:
    July 26th, 2008 at 1:32pm
    

    Chuck, I’m leaving town in less than a day for a little while — will be away from the computer, so no immediate hurry — but if you’ve gotta pick one … OK, how ’bout #7 … or #’s 1/3 (they kinda go together.)

16. 
    Chuck Barnett says:
    July 26th, 2008 at 2:08pm
    

    Hi Dan,

    Just came in from mowing the yard, and plan to settle in for a while now. As long as we can keep things reasonably orderly so that I dont get bombarded with a slew of questions in one shot (you all are many, and I am only one, afterall), I’ll find the time to address the questions, where I can.

    Ok, #7 read as:

    “The KGC says:

    Both of these objectives have been accomplished – as evidenced by the fact that the recent concerns that have been raised about the Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet matters are not being driven by affected players.”

    Question: This seems a very good point. But doubters will say it’s pretty easy to silence people with some money. I know that in far bigger scandals I’ve looked into, this has been the case. Were there any agreements of any form signed by anyone who received fiscal compensation for damages that may or may not have been suffered in connection to their dealings with AP or UB? A simple yes or no to this question will suffice.

    Which was placed within the original context of:

    It should be stressed that the KGC’s primary concern throughout both matters was to ensure that affected players were fully reimbursed and that corrective measures were implemented to prevent against any further incidents of cheating. Both of these objectives have been accomplished – as evidenced by the fact that the recent concerns that have been raised about the Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet matters are not being driven by affected players.

    Having been on the job for about 4 days now, I am unaware if any affected players were required to sign any, “agreements”. I am only able to confirm for certain that the KGC was adamant in their position that of primary concern was that those who were negatively impacted MUST be refunded. The licensee was in full agreement with this sentiment and complied fully.

    Thanks for slowing down the pace a bit, Im sure you understand that its going to make this exchange much more productive.

    Chuck Barnett

17. 
    Chuck Barnett says:
    July 26th, 2008 at 2:24pm
    

    Ok, second question from the gallery:

    “California Jen Says:
    July 26th, 2008 at 8:43 am

    Hi, Chuck… Maybe I can lend a hand here. Can you first tell us a little about the investigation? For example, when did it officially begin, how many investigators are involved, and how much time (per day or week) has been put into it?”

    Hi Jen,

    Im going to guess that you’re referring specifically to the issue and subsequent claims at UB, right?

    I wasn’t assigned to assist the KGC at that specific time, although I was aware of an investigation “in motion”, but I suppose I can make an inquiry as to when the file was first opened if it is of any help. I’ll just ask you to be patient with me as I have a number of time-critical items associated with the file on my desk at the moment.

    I will say that this issue has dominated the Kahnawa:ke Gaming Commission’s attention over the past few months, occupying the bulk of the attention of support staff, independant software auditors, Commission Members, Senior Regulatory Advisors and Legal Counsel while they simultaneously work to continue the day-to-day requirements of regulating the 60+ licensed operators within the jurisdiction.

    While I was aware that their hands had been full in that time, from my position at the utility company (MIT), it was not an issue that required my participation from the co-hosting facility end of things.

    Thanks,

    Chuck Barnett

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