Kahnawake probably isn’t the first regulatory authority that comes to your mind when we open up a topic of gambling licensing authorities. But, after reading this page, you will find out so much information on this regulatory body that you’ll look at the Canadian gambling industry in a completely different light. Kahnawake is one of the pioneer online gambling authorities, having recognized the potential of the industry almost two and a half decades ago. Granted the power to write its own gambling legislation by the Canadian government, the Kahnawake is one unique regulatory body that has a strong voice in shaping the online gaming industry in Canada.
Based on our strict criteria, the five above-listed Kahnawake licensed casinos are the best gaming options for those looking to get into the online gaming scene in Canada. We’ve reviewed each of them, so if any site piques your interest, we recommend you go through a detailed review to find out more about it before signing up. Due to specific gaming regulations in Canada, most big international online gaming sites do not offer their service in Canadian provinces that fall under the licensing of the Kahnawake Commission. They prefer to stick to other states in the country which they can do courtesy of an MGA license for instance. But, even though there is a clear lack of big industry names, players still have more than enough opportunities to experience everything online gambling in Kahnawake has to offer.
New Casinos Kahnawake
Most online gaming Kahnawake sites have been present on the market for quite some time now. While these casinos are undoubtedly a good option to go with, many casino players like to experiment with new online gaming sites. With that said, we usually use this section to lead into the topic and talk about the best new casinos that operate in a particular authority, but in this case, the selection of new Kahnawake casinos is slim to none. Some casinos are popping up here and there, but when talking about Kahnawake licensed sites, we fully advise you to stick with the top casinos listed above and avoid trying your luck with unproven sites.
Kahnawake Gaming Law – A quick Overview
The Kahnawake Gaming Commission was first established in 1996, while the Commission’s “Regulations concerning Interactive Gambling” were enacted three years later, in July 1999. The Kahnawake Gambling Commission is backed up by the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake, whose rights are recognized in Canada’s Constitution Act. Since it is considered an aspect of the Mohawk’s “native rights”, the legality of the Kahnawake Gaming Law and the activities of the Commission itself have never been challenged by Canadian laws or any other jurisdiction for that matter.
Currently the Kahnawake Gaming Commission licenses over 50 online gaming operators, representing around 250 online gambling sites in total. This makes the Commission one of the largest gambling regulatory bodies in the world. In addition to its online licensing activities, the Commission also licenses three land-based poker rooms that are located within the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake, Canada.
The Famous Kahnawake Gaming Commission Scandal
For over a decade, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission operated in relative obscurity and wasn’t that known across the globe. This changed in September 2009, when Kahnawake Gaming issued a decision in what we today know as the Ultimate Bet cheating scandal. After a lengthy investigation, the Commission affirmed that cheating occurred on the Ultimate Bet site, resulting in heavy sanctions on the company and one of the biggest reparations we’ve seen in online gambling.
Ultimate Bet’s ownership had to refund approximately $22 million to the site’s customers. In addition to this, the site’s parent company was issued a fine in the amount of $1.5 million and had to significantly alter its operations to make sure that no similar incidents could happen in the future.
How to Get a Kahnawake Gaming License
The Kahnawake Gaming Commission is the official licensing and regulatory authority for all gaming activities that happen within and from the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake. As such, the Kahnawake Gambling Commission issues four main types of gaming licenses:
- Interactive Gaming License (IGL) - Issued to an approved hosting facility in Kahnawake. Only one IGL may only be issued at any given time. Since 1999, Mohawk Internet Technologies has held the sole IGL issued by the Commission.
- Client Provider Authorization (CPA) - Issued to approved entities that want to provide interactive gaming services from the hosting facility in Kahnawake.
- Inter-Jurisdictional Authorization (IJA) - Issued to an entity that holds a valid interactive gaming license issued by another jurisdiction and that wants to locate some or all of its equipment and personnel within the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake.
- Key Person License (KPL) - Issued to at least one person who performs managerial or operational functions for the entity that holds a CPA.
Depending on which type of business the gaming provider wants to run, he will have to complete an extensive preparation and application process in order to obtain one of these licenses. In addition to these four licenses, operators can obtain licenses to offer online poker games and other raffle games. The Kahnawake Gaming license fees aren’t as steep as those of other jurisdictions.
The initial authorization fee is $40,000, plus there are also application fees of $5,000 for each Key Person License. While the $40,000 is certainly a significant step up in price from the previous price of $25,000, it’s still considerably less than what other jurisdictions demand. For example, the Gibraltar Gaming Commission has a fixed price of $100,000 for all of its online gaming licenses. Plus, If the casino fails to meet the licensing criteria, the Commission will give it a full refund.
Casinos that obtain a gaming license from Kahnawake must provide several mechanisms on their sites that would serve to protest players in multiple ways. This is already a step ahead of other licensing bodies such as Curacao eGaming. This includes player protection options through which the player can limit the money and time he spends on the site, set self-exclusion mechanisms and use other player safety features. Casino players should also always have an open support channel through which they can communicate any issues they come across when playing online. This leads us to the next important part – lodging in complaints with the Commission.
Kahnawake Gaming Commission Complaints – How to Submit a Complaint
As is the case with all other casinos in the business, Kahnawake Gaming casinos are required to provide a reliable complaints system on their platforms. Of course, casino players are advised to contact the gaming operator first. If players don’t succeed in resolving the complaint effectively, they can contact the Kahnawake Commission, which will take over and help resolve the issue. Here’s a quick step-by-step guide on how to submit a complaint through the Kahnawake Gaming Commission:
- Visit the Kahnawake Gaming Commission Complaints page and read through the guidelines
- Select the appropriate complaint options in the form
- Fill in all of the required details
- Submit the complaint
- This completes the process. After this, the Commission will review your complaint and send you a prompt response
To maintain maximum transparency, we have to note that the official Kahnawake Gaming Commission website has been experiencing some issues lately. Their complaints web form has been down for quite some time now, preventing players from submitting complaints through their site. While we don’t know when this issue will be resolved, in the meantime, you can get in touch with their staff through the Kahnawake Gaming Commission Gaming contact email.
Kahnawake Gambling Commission Contact Details
- E-mail support – available at [email protected]
- Physical mail address - O. Box 1799, Route 138, Kahnawake Mohawk territory
Kahnawake Casino Games – The Best Software Providers
While the Kahnawake Gaming Commission undoubtedly maintains strict regulations for every online casino that wishes to operate within its jurisdiction, it also allows several high-profile software providers to offer their games to Canadian players. The biggest names include industry-leading companies such as Play'n GO, Microgaming, Evolution Gaming and many others. Such a rich and well-balanced selection of casino providers means that players are spoilt for choice when playing online. From classic and jackpot slots to table games and live casino dealer games, there’s a little bit of everything for every Canadian casino player, regardless of what types of online games he likes to play.
The Commission’s Relationship with Other Regulatory Bodies
As one of the first online gambling regulatory authorities in the world, the Kahnawake Commission quickly realized that this is a global industry which requires various regulatory bodies to work together. The Commission is so invested in maintaining good ties with other authorities that it even dedicates an entire section of its Regulations Concerning Interactive Gaming to provide specific guidelines on how it should happen.
Over the years, the Commission has entered into Memoranda of Understanding with quite a few licensing authorities, including the FSRC (Financial Services Regulatory Commission), LGA (Lotteries and Gaming Authority) and the AGCC (Alderney Gambling Control Commission). The Commission also employs several independent gambling organizations and agents to conduct testing and audits of licensed casinos. This includes companies like eCogra, iTech Labs and Gaming Associates.
The Future of the Kahnawake Commission
The Kahnawake Gaming Commission has absolute authority in its operations and can shut down any online casino it deems to be operating against the rules. The specific regulations and the convenient online gambling currents have helped push the Kahnawake Gambling position to the very top, as one of the biggest grey market gambling regulators in the world.
But, even though the Commission has such power, it’s been seeing a decline in influence in the gambling world. This could mainly be attributed to the 2009 scandal when the unblemished record was tainted quite a bit. While the Kahnawake Commission didn’t make any significant mistakes during the entire process, the authorities’ all or nothing hard-line stance has dented its reputation a bit. This hasn’t’ had many clear and visible consequences, but this event did mark a subtle turning point and we can say, a decline, for the Commission. Although the Commission still maintains a solid reputation, the lack of new casino influx may be a bad sign for the future of this licensing authority.
Kahnawake Online Casino Sites – Pros and Cons
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Pros |
Cons |
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Very secure and trustworthy |
Not a lot of high-profile gambling sites |
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Favorable tax legislation |
New casinos are rare and far between |
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Features the best software providers |
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One of the oldest online gaming legislators |
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Kahnawake Gaming Casinos FAQs
Our Expert
Thomas
I'm a business graduate who got involved in the iGaming industry from an early age. My hands-on experience at online casinos and my eye for detail have helped me take things to the next level. Today, I consider myself a gaming expert. I am committed to delivering detailed and unbiased reviews.
