Kahnawake Gaming Commission
Kahnawake is a First Nations reserve, home to the Mohawks. The territory is located in Québec on Montréal's south shore and covers about 48.1 square kilometres of sovereign land.
Gaming activity inside the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake requires a license by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission. Licenses are issued on land-based gaming activity within the territory, such as raffles, electronic gaming devices, and poker rooms.
Licenses are also issued for interactive gaming (online) since July 1999 - one of the first jurisdictions to do so! Operators licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission must have their operations hosted at a data centre located on Mohawk territory.
A Kahnawake license is advantageous for offshore providers who want a fast and cost-effective license with less scrutiny than other regulatory bodies.
The regulatory body works with other global bodies such as the Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC), Jersey Gambling Commission, Antigua and Barbuda's Financial Services Regulatory Commission (FSRC) and the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA).
Role of the Kahnawake Gaming Commission
The Kahnawake Gaming Commission's primary responsibility is player protection, a common responsibility amongst all iGaming regulators. Player protection means ensuring that operators conduct activities in a fair, honest and responsible manner. This also means ensuring players are at least 18 years of age.
Casino game software licensed here have their random number generator's tested and certified as fair by independent third parties: iTech Labs, Technical Systems Testing or eCOGRA.
Canadians can complain about any operator licensed by the Commission by sending an email to [email protected]. While not precisely acting as hockey referees, the regulator will attempt to find a solution.
Kahnawake Casino List of Operators
The Kahnawake Gaming Commission is not one of the more well-known licensing and regulating bodies. Still, the Kahnawake casino list is 75 URLs long from all over the world. All casinos licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission must display the logo linked to a certificate proving their good standing.
Gambling in Canada
Most of the gambling in Canada, including online gambling, is controlled by the provinces. Still, each must do this within the framework established by Canada's Criminal Code. The only exception is pari-mutuel betting which is federally regulated by the (Federal) Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency.
In provinces such as Ontario, the provincial lottery provider OLG has exclusive control from its website PlayOGA.ca. The same is true of other provinces, such as British Columbia, Manitoba and Québec. The Atlantic Lottery Corporation is jointly owned by the smallest east coast provinces of Newfoundland & Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick.
Offshore internet gambling is not explicitly mentioned as being illegal. Still, neither is it explicitly legal making offshore online gambling in Canada a grey area. There has been a general reluctance for governments to go after providers.
Why Gamble at a Kahnawake–Licensed Casino?
Canadians wanting to avoid a provincially-run casino online in Canada find offshore online casinos such as ones licensed and regulated by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission as convenient. Being so close to home, some Canadians may feel safer knowing that the casino is licensed and regulated by a jurisdiction surrounded by Canada on all sides.
It's not hard to see why Canadians are compelled to play at offshore casinos instead of local ones after making a comparison:
Offshore casinos offer a wider choice of slots and casino games.
Offshore casinos offer live casino games, which provincially run casinos online do not.
Offshore casinos offer a greater range of promotions and bonuses.
History of the Kahnawake Gaming Commission
Back in 2016, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission ran into hot water with New Jersey. The state was unhappy that offshore online casinos with sites hosted on the reservation's datacentre targeted its residents. The Kahnawake Gaming Commission complied, resulting in some online casinos relinquishing licenses.
However, the silver lining remains that the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement was willing to work with the Commission, further legitimizing the regulator.
Some jurisdictions, including Curaçao, Costa Rica and Panama, with lax regulatory oversight, turn a blind eye to online casinos that illegally target Americans. This gives the Kahnawake Gaming Commission a leg up as a legitimate licensing jurisdiction. Still, it has some ways to go to catch up to rivals in Europe which have become the go-to destination for licensing worldwide.
Closing Thoughts
Canadians have an option when it comes to regulated offshore online casinos that are closer to home with a Kahnawake Gaming Commission license. Although it is much smaller than its equivalents in Europe, it has room to grow in licensees and reputation. Look for the Commission's logo at online casino sites that claim to be licensed there.
While not exactly a secret, foreigners finding out about casino Kahnawake licenses are almost as surprised as learning that we drink our milk from plastics bags!
At OnlineCasinoList, Canadians can find online casinos licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission on our pages.