Promotional material for PrivateTable.com. Image from Facebook
The Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel in California is launching an Internet poker site, just a few months after closing the physical casino on its reservation. Internet poker isn't legal in the U.S. or in California. But the tribe is asserting the authority to operate PrivateTable.Com as part of an agreement with the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, a regulatory body based on the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory in Canada. “We’re looking forward to the opportunity to expanding upon the lipay Nation of Santa Ysabel’s successful track record in the regulated gaming industry,” Dave Vialpando, the chairman of the Santa Ysabel Gaming Commission said in a press release. “The Gaming Commission has applied its years of experience to ensure the integrity of the games when designing the framework for Santa Ysabel Interactive’s I-poker website.”
Closed for business. A message on the Santa Ysabel Casino website.
The tribe closed the Santa Ysabel Casino in February. The facility failed to meet expectations and owes millions of dollars to its creditors, including the Yavapai-Apache Nation of Arizona. Federal law bars Internet gaming unless it is conducted under a Class III gaming compact or under state law. Get the Story:
California tribe Santa Ysabel announces impending launch of real-money online poker site, despite no bill passing (Agent Marco 7/14)
Native Americans jump into online gambling (San Diego 6 News 7/14)
California Tribe Launching Real Money Online Poker Site (California Online Poker 7/14)
Loquacious former S.F. mayor Willie Brown leaves online gambling conference attendees agape (Venture Beat 7/15)
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Santa Ysabel Band
shutters casino due to financial problems (02/04)
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