Mohawk Online of Kahnawà:ke Canada shortlisted for EGR North America.
The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke has been a significant player in the global online gambling market for a very long time. It was the Kahnawà:ke Gaming Commission (KGC) that upheld licensing and regulation for countless iGaming operators, back when most countries had little or no clue what internet gambling was about. Today, the Mohawk Council continues to stamp its positive influence on the industry, as is evident by the group’s nomination for an award most coveted.
Mohawk Online proudly announced in a press release last week that its iGaming platform, Sports Interaction, has been shortlisted by EGR North America. For those unfamiliar with the name, EGR North America is the most prestigious award ceremony in the iGaming business; the “Oscars” of the North American online gambling industry, so they’re known. Likewise, Mohawk’s iGaming operation is up for the most prestigious award of them all – Operator of the Year.
Mohawk Online Welcomes EGR Award Shortlisting
The EGR North America Awards ceremony is an annual event that celebrates the exceptional achievements of companies and individuals operating in the North American online gambling industry. This year’s EGR North America ceremony will take place virtually on May 26, 2021.
Mohawk Online is extremely proud to have made this year’s shortlist of nominees, and they’re in very good company. Other company’s to make the EGR NA Operator of the Year shortlist include DraftKings, FanDuel, Golden Nugget Online Gaming, Monkey Knife Fight, PointsBet, and Rush Street Interactive.
Gina Deer, Chief of the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke, was honoured to share the news of MCK’s nomination.
“The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke is proud that the judging panel of these prestigious awards has recognized the operating excellence and innovation of our Mohawk Online socio-economic initiative,” said Chief Deer. “Kahnawà:ke has played an important role as pioneers of egaming and we are pleased that our ongoing contributions are still being recognized by the industry.”
Chief Deer went on to explicate the group’s delight in representing the Canadian online gaming industry. As a “nominee for the EGR North America ‘Operator of the Year’ award,” she said, “we hope that our Sports Interaction brand demonstrates what Canada and the Indigenous people of Turtle Island have to offer the North American gaming industry.”
Complete List of 2021 EGR North America Nominations
EGR North America celebrates all manner of iGaming businesses. According to the website:
“The EGR North America Awards celebrate excellence in the North American online gaming industry and is considered the premier gaming awards for companies operating in the North American market. The Awards are the perfect opportunity to share the success and hard work of your team from the past year.”
This year, there are twenty-five awards, to be passed out among four major categories; General, Affiliate, Supplier and Operator. Five of the awards are new for 2021, including awards for Fantasy/DFS operators, Could and IT services, full-service platform providers, safer gambling provision, and outstanding charitable efforts.
All the shortlisted nominees for the 2021 EGR North America Awards, alphabetically listed by their respective categories, are as follows.
Operator Categories | Nominees |
Casino Operator |
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Customer Services Operator |
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Fantasy & DFS Operator *New |
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Lottery Operator |
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Marketing Campaign |
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Mobile Operator |
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Supplier Categories | Nominees |
Acquisition and Retention Partner |
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Business Advisory Partner |
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Casino Content Supplier |
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Cloud and IT Services Partner *New |
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Freeplay Gaming Supplier |
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Full-Service Platform Provider *New |
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Sports Betting Supplier |
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Sportsbook Platform Provider |
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Affiliate Categories | Nominees |
Affiliate of the Year |
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General Categories | Nominees |
Best New Game |
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Best Product Innovation |
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US Rising Star |
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Safer Gambling Provider *New |
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Standout Charitable Effort of the Year |
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From Regulation to Operation – 25 Years and Counting
Just to clarify, the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) and the Kahnawà:ke Gaming Commission (KGC) are not the same thing. The KGC is the jurisdictional regulatory commission that began administering online gaming licenses as early as 1996. It is also responsible for the regulation of land-based gambling operations that take place on the lands of the Mohawk Tribe of Kahnawà:ke, Canada.
The MCK, while managed by the same tribal officers, is Kahnawà:ke’s first operator of electronic gaming services, established in 2015. At that time, MCK entered into an agreement with Sports Interaction, which has held a KGC license since 1999.|
According to the Mohawk Online website:
“Mohawk Online is a socio-economic initiative wholly owned by the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake. The revenue generated by Mohawk Online is invested back into the community to help create a better future for the people of Kahnawake. Our management ethos is simple: to be a company that engenders trust by operating with integrity and acting responsibly.”
To reiterate, the KGC licenses and monitors internet gaming websites. The MCK runs its own internet gambling websites, licensed by the KGC.