Quebec provincial police are currently investigating the online casinos on the Kahnawake First Nations reserve to see if they fall within the boundaries of the law.

The goal of the investigation is to determine whether the casinos being operated on the reserve, which is located just outside Montreal, are illegal and should be shut down or if the province needs to rewrite existing gambling statutes to address the issue.

Current legislation does not explicitly prohibit with online wagering, but provincial authorities maintain that any gaming facility that is not officially licensed is illegal.

“The only one who has the right to operate a casino in Quebec is the government,” said Francois Moisan, spokesman for Quebec’s alcohol, racing and gaming board. “Others, such as religious groups and charities, can get licenses but our mandate is to control the licensing.”

As previously reported on WINNERonline, Mohawks on the Kahnawake reserve disagree with the government’s position, citing territorial sovereignty and legal uncertainty over online gambling.

That position may not keep the province at bay indefinitely, however. Montreal-based law professor Sunny Handa noted that the police have acted within their authority when they shut down other questionable casinos.

“They use pretty broad language in …