Mikmaq Confederacy clarifies role in online gaming plan

The Mikmaq Confederacy of P.E.I. issued a news release Friday to clarify its role an initiative to regulate online gaming.

The plan, known as the gaming initiative of Prince Edward Island, came uplast week when Finance Minister Wes Sheridan was being questioned in the legislature about who paid for a trip he took to London, U.K. in 2011. Sheridan was attending an online gaming conference.

He said the initiative paid for the trip, and that is why it did not appear on his ministerial expenses.

In its news release, the confederacy said it launched the initiative in 2008. It said the project was to serve the dual role of protecting the public from unregulated internet gaming companies, and generating tax revenue for both the Mi'kmaq and provincial governments.

Other jurisdictions in North America have also been exploring regulating online gaming, said the confederacy, and a high degree of confidentiality was needed to retain a competitive advantage.

The two levels of government tried in good faith to make an important project happen that would serve the interests of the Mi'kmaq and all Islanders, said confederacy executive director Don MacKenzie.

It is very unfortunate that, due to legal technicalities and the distinct jurisdictional roles of the Federal and Provincial Governments, the initiative was not successful."

The news release says not being successful is the only regret the confederacy has about the initiative.

As Sheridan has previously noted, the initiative was funded by a loan from Innovation PEI.

"The conditions of the Innovation PEI funding were that funds would be repaid from the revenue generated once the regulatory regime started operations,"the release states."Unfortunately this did not happen, and neither MCPEI nor the First Nations has any unpaid debt."