A Mohawk regulator near Montreal that has licensed online casinos since 1999, and one of the few offshore regulators that takes up player complaints itself.
The Kahnawà:ke Gaming Commission (KGC) has licensed online casinos from the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawà:ke, near Montreal, since 1999, which makes it one of the longest-running online gambling regulators. Every casino it licenses must run its games from the Mohawk Internet Technologies data centre inside the territory.
At a Kahnawake-licensed casino:
The software, including the random number generator, is tested before the licence is granted and audited every year by one of the KGC's approved testing agents.
Player balances must be separately identifiable and covered by liquid funds at all times, and the KGC can demand proof and require the casino to put up security for what it owes players.
Withdrawals must be paid as soon as practicable once your identity is verified.
You must be 18, or older if the law where you live says so.
You can set daily, weekly or monthly deposit limits, and loosening a limit takes 24 hours.
If you ask a casino to exclude you, it must lock your account for at least six months, and you can ask the KGC to exclude you from every casino it licenses.
The rules are lighter in places than those of the UK or Malta. Player money must be covered, but the rules do not require it to be held in a separate trust account, and there is no requirement for loss or session limits. Since 2016 the KGC has barred its licensees from taking players in any US state that has not authorised them.
Complaints and disputes
Unlike most offshore regulators, the KGC handles player complaints itself. Complain to the casino first: it has 45 days to give you a final decision. If you are not satisfied, send the complaint to the KGC through the form on its website or to [email protected], within six months of the problem arising, with your user name and what you tried with the casino. Complaints about underage play, self-exclusion, fraud allegations or seized funds can go straight to the KGC.
The KGC acknowledges complaints within 24 hours, and the casino must send it a full written response within seven days. It can dismiss the complaint, uphold it, or order the casino to put things right, including paying you. In 2025 it validated 756 complaints, most of them about late or missing payments, and upheld about one in five for the player. Posting the dispute on a public forum or taking it to the media while it is open can lead the KGC to drop it.
Who runs the Kahnawake Gaming Commission
The KGC was set up on 10 June 1996 under the Kahnawake Gaming Law. Its three commissioners are appointed for two-year terms by the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke, the community's governing body, and it regards its authority as part of the community's right as an Indigenous people to govern its own affairs. A casino operator's licence is called a Client Provider Authorization, renewed for up to five years at a time.
Regulator
Kahnawà:ke Gaming Commission (KGC)
Jurisdiction
Mohawk Territory of Kahnawà:ke, Quebec, Canada
Law
Kahnawake Gaming Law (1996) and its Interactive Gaming Regulations
Operators on its permit list
55, with 229 web addresses (Sep 2026)
Takes up player complaints
Yes
Dispute resolution
Run by the KGC itself
How to check a Kahnawake licence
The KGC does not publish licence numbers, so the licence number in a casino's footer cannot be matched to anything. Use the KGC logo and the permit list instead.
Click the KGC logo in the casino's footer. It should open a Certificate of Good Standing on certificates.gamingcommission.ca. Check the address bar, because fake licensing sites with similar names exist.
Check that the site name and web address on the certificate match the site you are on, and read the permit holder's name and the permit expiry date.
Find the permit holder on the KGC's permit list and make sure the exact web address you are using is listed next to it.
If the logo is missing, is not linked to a certificate, or the details do not match, report the site to [email protected].
The Kahnawà:ke Gaming Commission is established on 10 June under the Kahnawake Gaming Law.
1999
The Regulations concerning Interactive Gaming are enacted in July, and Mohawk Internet Technologies becomes the territory's single licensed hosting centre.
2008
After a cheating scandal at Absolute Poker and UltimateBet, the KGC imposes sanctions on both, including a US$1.5 million fine on UltimateBet. Affected players are reimbursed, with UltimateBet's refunds alone passing US$20 million.
2010
From 15 January, licensed sites must link the KGC logo to a Certificate of Good Standing.
2016
In September the KGC directs licensees to stop accepting players from any US state that has not authorised them, or lose their licences.
2024
The Ontario Superior Court dismisses the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke's challenge to Ontario's regulated online gambling market.
2026
In March the KGC amends its regulations with a rewritten complaints process, and in April it revokes the licence of the operator behind the Spinhub casino sites.
Kahnawake licence FAQ
Is a Kahnawake-licensed casino safe to play at?
A Kahnawake licence means the operator passed the KGC’s suitability checks, had its software tested, and must pay withdrawals as soon as practicable and cover player balances with liquid funds. It is not a guarantee: in 2025 the KGC validated 756 player complaints, most about late or missing payments, and upheld about one in five for the player.
How do I check that a casino really holds a Kahnawake licence?
Click the KGC logo in the casino’s footer. It should open a Certificate of Good Standing on certificates.gamingcommission.ca showing the site, the permit holder and the expiry date. Then confirm the operator and the exact web address appear on the KGC’s permit holders list.
Can I complain to the Kahnawake Gaming Commission if a casino will not pay me?
Yes. Complain to the casino first; it has 45 days to give a final decision. If you are not satisfied, email [email protected] or use the form on the KGC’s website within six months of the problem arising, and include your user name and the steps you took with the casino.
How long does a KGC complaint take?
The KGC acknowledges complaints within 24 hours, and the casino must send the KGC a full written reply within seven days. The KGC can then dismiss the complaint, uphold it, or order the casino to take steps such as paying you.
Can I block myself from every Kahnawake-licensed casino?
Yes. Send the KGC a self-exclusion request with government ID, and once it is approved the KGC tells all its licensees to close your accounts. The exclusion is permanent and cannot be reversed, and money deposited or won in breach of it is forfeited to a charity chosen by the KGC.
Do Kahnawake casinos accept players from the United States or Ontario?
Since September 2016 the KGC has barred licensees from accepting players in a US state unless that state has authorised them. Each operator must also follow the laws of the places it serves. Ontario runs its own regulated market, so if you live there, check iGaming Ontario’s list of regulated sites.
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