It's been many months since the last word from the Kahnawake Gaming Commission regarding the UltimateBet scandal. As it turns out, the KGC was in the process of refunding more money to cheated players, identifying culprits, and discussing the case with law enforcement officials. And on September 11, 2009, the "final decision" was written and released to the public.

Much of the 11-page document detailed the scandal overview, most of which has previously been made public. But new information emerged, such as the time frame of the scandal, which took place between June 2003 and December of 2007. That's quite a bit longer than once thought. KGC also reported that Tokwiro Enterprises, the parent company of UltimateBet, refunded a total of $22,054,351.91 to players, in addition to the $1.5 million fine, plus investigation expenses paid to the KGC.

Most interesting, however, was the publication of all 23 accounts and 117 usernames connected to the cheating through IP addresses and computer devices. All of the usernames were somehow connected to the cheating through abnormal winning statistics or player-to-player transfers with the primary suspect, 1994 World Series of Poker Main Event champion Russell Hamilton. Upon the conclusion of the investigation, KGC determined that Hamilton had 31 co-conspirators who were associated with the cheating in some way, though not all may have been willing or informed participants.

Thus, the 31 names were not released. When KGC spokesperson Chuck Barnett, a member of the Mohawk Internet Technologies Board of Supervisors, was asked about the names, he noted that the names of all suspects in the scandal were turned over to law enforcement officials, though he would not expound on the country or principality that was involved. Citing legal concerns, the KGC could be held civilly liable if names are released and it is ultimately proven that they were unwilling participants in the scheme. In addition, it would be unfair to accuse them without being sure of their level of culpability, and law enforcement officials noted that the release of names would impede the criminal investigation.

Why was Russ Hamilton named? The KGC decision noted that he was "primarily responsible for, and benefited from, the multiple cheating incidences." Barnett added that it was "very clear" that Hamilton was directly connected to and responsible for the alleged crimes.

The report also detailed the conditions of Tokwiro retaining its license and continuing operations, including being responsible for maintaining three sets of web and game logs, one of which will be maintained at a Mohawk facility. They are also required to provide details to the KGC of all daily operations for a minimum of one year. Tokwiro must also review an updated compliance plan that follows industry best practices, as well as file applications for licenses of any person associated with the company as an officer, director, shareholder, associate, or key person.

KGC Chairman Dean Montour concluded, "Despite the unfortunate circumstances that resulted in this cheating, we are satisfied that the actions taken by the Commission provided an equitable result for affected players-our first priority. We remain optimistic that this experience and the lessons learned from it will result in a higher standard of gaming regulation for companies licensed and regulated within the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake and elsewhere."

In upcoming columns, Tokwiro COO Paul Leggett's response to the final decision will be outlined, as well as the response from the poker community at large, and the decision of poker pro Joe Sebok to sign on as both a UB-sponsored pro and media and operations consultant.

Jennifer Newell is a compulsive writer. In addition to Poker Player Newspaper, she writes for numerous publications and blogs at Pokerati.com as California Jen. In her little bit of spare time, she plays poker, too. Contact her at jen3351@msn.com.