Tokwiro Biography

12/13/2008		Tokwiro Biography
Home History Games News Dictionary		As a prelude to the specialty program on Internet gambling to be aired on 60 Minutes, the Washington Post published an in depth article on Joseph Tokwiro Norton, owner of Absolute Poker.com and Ultimate Bet.com, as well ad former Grand Chief for the Mohawk Kahnawake tribe, so prominent in the online gambling industry through their licensing jurisdictions. The article, written by Gilbert M Gaul, details how Norton went from a 28-year old iron worker building the World Trade Center, to owner of Tokwiro Enterprises and major world contender for online casinos and related sites. The article explains just how Norton and the Kahnawake tribe got to be such major contributors to the $18 million online gambling world, starting with Norton's efforts to open a land based casino on the reservation near Montreal. He began as one of the elected officials for the tribe of 8,000 members, and was promoted to the position of Grand Chief two years later. It was Norton that introduced the gambling industry as an income option, vastly more lucrative than the cigarette sales and handouts from the government that they'd been subsisting on. His suggestions for a land based casino were rejected twice, giving Norton the idea of taking advantage of the online casino opportunities, early on in the game. His forethought got the Kahnawake tribe involved and available for gambling jurisdiction licensing early on, establishing them now as one of the most powerful named in the business. Twent years go by. In 2004, Norton stepped down as Grand Chief and set up Tokwiro Enterprises, trading a thriving Indian community for management of a company to take part more directly in providing gamblers with great sites. The licensing requirements for Kahnawake state that those sites applying need to have their computer servers on the reservation, in an appropriately secure and air conditioned server farm for a minimum of three years. These rentals also contribute to the income for the Mohawk International Technologies sector that takes care of that division. In 2006, Norton bought Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet. The former owners, Excapa, however did not announce the change in ownership for two years, eventually settling to the tune of $15 million in Tokwira's favor after a pending lawsuit exploded. Though Norton declined to me interviewed for the Post piece, the current Grand Chief for the tribe, Michael Delisle made the following statement: "It was a field not yet occupied....we were the first ones into it." according to jim, much of the profit has been reinvested in cultural efforts for the Mihawk people, including a language program. On the reservation itself, the online casino involvement provides more than 150 jobs.

12/13/2008

Tokwiro Biography

As a prelude to the specialty program on Internet gambling to be aired on 60 Minutes, the Washington Post published an in depth article on Joseph Tokwiro Norton, owner of Absolute Poker.com and Ultimate Bet.com, as well ad former Grand Chief for the Mohawk Kahnawake tribe, so prominent in the online gambling industry through their licensing jurisdictions. The article, written by Gilbert M Gaul, details how Norton went from a 28-year old iron worker building the World Trade Center, to owner of Tokwiro Enterprises and major world contender for online casinos and related sites.

The article explains just how Norton and the Kahnawake tribe got to be such major contributors to the $18 million online gambling world, starting with Norton's efforts to open a land based casino on the reservation near Montreal. He began as one of the elected officials for the tribe of 8,000 members, and was promoted to the position of Grand Chief two years later. It was Norton that introduced the gambling industry as an income option, vastly more lucrative than the cigarette sales and handouts from the government that they'd been subsisting on. His suggestions for a land based casino were rejected twice, giving Norton the idea of taking advantage of the online casino opportunities, early on in the game. His forethought got the Kahnawake tribe involved and available for gambling jurisdiction licensing early on, establishing them now as one of the most powerful named in the business.

Twent years go by. In 2004, Norton stepped down as Grand Chief and set up Tokwiro Enterprises, trading a thriving Indian community for management of a company to take part more directly in providing gamblers with great sites. The licensing requirements for Kahnawake state that those sites applying need to have their computer servers on the reservation, in an appropriately secure and air conditioned server farm for a minimum of three years. These rentals also contribute to the income for the Mohawk International Technologies sector that takes care of that division.

In 2006, Norton bought Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet. The former owners, Excapa, however did not announce the change in ownership for two years, eventually settling to the tune of $15 million in Tokwira's favor after a pending lawsuit exploded.

Though Norton declined to me interviewed for the Post piece, the current Grand Chief for the tribe, Michael Delisle made the following statement: "It was a field not yet occupied....we were the first ones into it." according to jim, much of the profit has been reinvested in cultural efforts for the Mihawk people, including a language program. On the reservation itself, the online casino involvement provides more than 150 jobs.