Nowadays, any respectable online casino that wants to build a household name must obtain a legal online gaming license. This can be done with the help of any respective regulating body, one of which is the Kahnawake Gaming Commission — a gaming regulatory body that regulates and licenses a vast number of online gaming platforms, including casinos, sports betting sites, and poker rooms.
Being on the market for many years, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission has built a great reputation not only in Canada but across the globe as well. Its regulation system has been developed in a way that they now have various agencies in charge of monitoring whether the license holders respect the code of conduct on a daily basis.
Additionally, this regulating body for online gaming offers amazing terms for its license owners — a safe and secure gaming environment, clearly defined terms and conditions regarding the price of the license and the tax rate, carefully designed infrastructure, and more.
In this text, we are going to discuss all the vital aspects of the Kahnawake Gaming Commission in detail, so if you’re interested in hearing all about it, make sure to stay on this page!
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Licensed UnderBaytree Ltd |
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Benefits of a Kahnawake License for a Player
The Kahnawake Mohawk Territory is a First Nations reserve in Canada that is home to 8,000 residents and is spread over 18.5 square miles. Although it is indeed small and easy to overlook due to the popularity of some other jurisdictions, Kahnawake is a great regulating body for online gaming platforms.
In recent years, more and more online gaming platforms from various corners of the world have decided to obtain the Kahnawake license that is available for all types of online gaming operators —online casinos, poker rooms, sportsbooks, esports betting platforms, online bingo providers, and more. The reason for this is that the license granted by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission brings many benefits, and you’re about to find out more about all of them.
Cost Efficiency
The Kahnawake Gaming Commission is one of the regulating bodies with the lowest application fees on the market. Compared to other jurisdictions, Kahnawake offers excellent service for quite a reasonable price, and it’s well regulated to support many different available payment methods. Naturally, every online gaming platform has an aim to earn more money, which is why they would always go for anything that is cost-efficient, but equally good as the competition.
Safety and Security
Since safety and security play an essential role in the iGaming industry, the Kahnawake license is created to provide both. Moreover, players’ protection and the subjective feeling of safety are paramount for this organization. There’s a whole team of experts closely monitoring the operation of each online gaming platform that owns the Kahnawake license. Also, all the procedures and policies regarding the process of obtaining the license are regularly inspected and reviewed. That’s why players who choose to try their luck on a gaming site licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission can rest assured they won’t have any issues regarding safety and security.
Also, after going through a stressful experience in 2007, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission has invested a lot in its safety and security measures in recent years. The KGC team is conscious and aware of the fact that they need to work around the clock now in order to preserve their hard-earned reputation. That’s why they implemented several layers of cyber protection, including state-of-the-art SSL encryption, various firewalls, DPO’s, and all other security measures that should keep everything in order.
Randomness Requirement
Apart from safety and security, fairness and randomness are a must in the online gaming world. An online gaming platform licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission is proved to be at the top of its game when it comes to providing fair games and random outcomes. Namely, the KGC has a strict testing process performed by an independent auditing team in charge of testing the respective platforms.
The testing is done by some of the most trustworthy third-party auditors such as TST, NMi, Gaming Associated, and iTech Labs, and they have no mercy when performing the examination. Each and every online gaming operator that wants to obtain the KGC license must excel in every aspect that the auditor checks. Once everything proves to be right, the platform can get the license, but that’s not the end of the story. The KGC will perform random tests on all the platforms it legalized in order to maintain the quality of service and guarantee that everything is done in a fair and random manner.
Working With the Best
The team behind KGC is well aware that the reputation of their clients builds a reputation for them as well. That’s why every license application is carefully examined, and each applicant is thoroughly checked to meet the company’s views on ethical standards. The KGC will consider only online gaming operators that are operating by the highest standards and, in that way, keep their slate clean at all times. Therefore, only the honest, fair, and professional candidates get the right to hold the KGC license.
Transparency
There are many shady websites that won’t hesitate to commit fraud by claiming that they got a license by the KGC. While this can be easily done by displaying a false Kahnawake Gaming Commission seal, the KGC has also made it easy for players to check this information. When working with KGC, casinos get the right to link their platform details to the official KGC site that pops up when you click the seal. Also, there’s the list of the licensed permit holders on the KGC site where you can check whether a site is officially legal or not.
Dispute Resolution
The KGC goes the extra mile to sort out any issues with both the online gaming venues it regulates and the players who experienced any problems. The focus is on the quality and speed of conflict resolution, as the KGC knows that customer satisfaction is always the number one priority.
Even though most gaming sites and their affiliates have responsive and polite customer support agents that know how to deal with any potential problem, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission is more than willing to intervene and help out if needed. In case someone has a more serious issue with anything related directly to the KGC, the company is ready to put into action its full-time dispute resolution team.
It’s important to note that players can demand their rights, and the KGC is one of the companies that pay attention to what players have to say. This can be concluded by the fact that more than half of the rules of the KGC favors players.
Kahnawake Gaming Commission Regulation
The Kahnawake Gaming Commission is in charge of regulating both brick-and-mortar gambling establishments and online gaming platforms hosted in the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory. There are several types of licenses and permits offered by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission:
- Interactive Gaming Licence (“IGL”): This is the basic license issued by the KGC to an approved hosting facility within Kahnawake. This license allows a company to provide online services to authorized client providers based in the same location, and this license can be issued only once.
- Client Provider Authorization (“CPA”): The CPA is issued to established entities that wish to provide interactive gaming services from the hosting office located in Kahnawake, and the holder of this authorization is known as the Authorized Client Provider (“ACP”). As opposed to IGL that can be issued only once, the number of CPAs that can be issued by the KGC is not limited. However, the two are connected, as an ACP has to be hosted at the facility already holding the IGL, meaning that it is free to offer any type of online games — casino games, online poker, sports betting, and other games.
- Inter-Jurisdictional Authorization (“IJA”): This authorization is issued to the operator that already has a valid online gaming license issued by another jurisdiction (known as the primary jurisdiction), but it wishes to locate all its equipment and personnel, or a part of it, on the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake. However, the primary jurisdiction remains responsible for regulating the operations of an IJA holder — its compliance requirements stay valid, and the KGC does not duplicate it.
- Key Person Licence (“KPL”): The KPL is issued to one or more people who act as managers or perform any operational functions for the platform holding a CPA. The information contained in KPL is highly confidential and shouldn’t be shared with any third party.
- Casino Software Provider Authorization (“CSPA”): CSPA enables the owner of a legitimate CSPA to locate and operate online gaming on a platform that is owned and operated by the holder of a valid IGL.
As you can see, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission is serious when it comes to licenses and authorization, meaning that you won’t have to worry about legality or safety once they regulate a specific site. Every site owner that wants to get their hands on the KGC license must obtain a Client Provider Authorisation (CPA) that authorizes the holder to offer interactive online gaming directly from Kahnawake. Also, the site owner in question will have to obtain a few Key Person Permits (KPP).
These are the basic requirements, and in case there’s something else an operator wants to do on its website, the customer support team can be consulted at any given point in time.
History of the Kahnawake Gaming Commission
The Kahnawake Gaming Commission started its operation in 1996, based on the Kahnawake Gaming Law composed by the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake. Yet, the KGC’s regulations concerning Interactive Gaming were properly established three years later, in July 1999. These regulations were created to regulate the operation of any online gaming platform based within the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory and to make sure that they follow some of the several most important principles of gaming:
- to provide regulated and controlled interactive gaming offered from or based within the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake
- to guarantee the responsible, fair and honest interactive gaming
- to prevent any fraud or crime associated with interactive gaming
- to ensure that operators pay out winners on time without any delays, as well as that players’ sensitive information and transaction details remain strictly confidential
- to protect underage players from the harmful effect gaming can have on the health and overall quality of life.
According to Canadian law, only provincial governments are allowed to offer online gambling services to their residents. However, the First Nation tribes, including the Kahnawake tribe, have insisted on getting the right to take control over regulating online gaming platforms.
Another demand they had was the authorization to make their regulated sites available across the globe in all the countries where gambling is officially legal. As the government decided to look the other way and allow the Kahnawake jurisdiction to spread its wings, it automatically enabled it to develop even further and become known throughout the planet.
What is more, in 2010, there was an amendment to the regulations claiming that all the companies must be hosted by Mohawk Internet Technologies, thus allowing MIT to hold a virtual monopoly over online gaming on the territory.
Yet, there has been an incident that almost ruined the Kahnawake Gaming Commission’s spotless reputation in 2007. Namely, two websites have been accused of cheating poker players by abusing the KGC system. Some former employees in charge of poker events on these sites have found a way to leave back door security flaws at the MIT program and had the insight into the outcome of poker tournaments.
Although the scandal was sorted out, a lot of players remembered the Kahnawake Gaming Commission by this incident, and it took quite some time for the things to get back on track again.
The KGC Permit Application Process
The procedure of acquiring the KGC permit is rather simple, which makes it a great choice for anyone who has just stepped into the world of online gaming. The whole process of acquiring Kahnawake license takes between four and eight weeks and includes the following steps:
- Application fee — Before the application process can be initiated, every operator must pay the application fee. A great thing about the KGC license is that there is no need to pay corporate tax or any additional gaming taxes whatsoever.
- Submitting the required documents — Once your transaction goes through, it is time to submit all the documents necessary for getting a license. The required documents include birth certificate, certified passport copies, an original certificate showing no criminal record, original (or certified copies) of utility bills, bank references of the owners, personal financial statements for directors, shareholders, and UBOs. Apart from these documents, details of the offered games and gaming software provider should also be submitted. Finally, if applicable, the confirmation of the RNG application and its fairness should be provided as well.
- Documentation review — The next step depends on the regulating bodies, and you as an interactive gaming entity have nothing to do with it. This is when your documentation has been carefully examined and reviewed by the iGaming experts.
- A preliminary permit is granted — If everything goes right, the platform is granted a preliminary permit that can be seen as a sort of a probation period. During this time, the KGC is closely monitoring the operation of the site and checking whether the operator sticks to all the rules and regulations set to maintain a safe and secure gaming environment and high-quality service.
- A certificate is approved — After the preliminary permit is granted, the final report is received, and some recommendations are made to ensure future compliance with the KGC’s requirements. The compliance officer is in charge of creating the final certificate and forwarding the HTML code to the operator.
Operators should also note down that all the documents submitted to the KGC must be in English and not older than 90 days. In case the original documents are in some language other than English, they must be translated by a certified English translator.
How Prestigious Kahnawake License Is Compared to Others?
The Kahnawake Gaming Commission is among the top online gaming regulating bodies, right below the household names such as the Malta Gaming Authority and the UK Gambling Commission. It would have probably been among the elite online gambling jurisdictions if it weren’t for the scandal in 2007 that damaged its previously spotless reputation and almost made it start anew.
However, the KGC managed to get things right and worked even harder than before to bring back the trust of its former loyal users, as well as to attract new ones. Some of the steps the KGC needed to take in order to get back on track is to get involved in sorting out issues between players and platforms with the KGC license. It also invested a lot more in cybersecurity measures to prevent any fraud from happening in the future. Today, players’ data and transaction details have been protected with several layers of encryption, so they don’t have to worry about hackers’ attacks.
Finally, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission has created strong connections with other online gambling regulating bodies. This was achieved by the KGC entering a Memoranda of Understanding with Antigua and Barbuda in 2005, with Malta in 2006, and Alderney in 2010. Also, the Kahnawake has related arrangements with the Six Nations Gambling Commission in Ontario and the Santa Ysabel Tribe in California in 2014, as well as with Jersey Gambling Commission in the Channel Islands in 2015.
In conclusion, applying for a license issued by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission is nevertheless a great idea, as the company will go the extra mile to provide the top-quality service for minimum cost.
Kahnawake Contact Details
In case you’re up to contact the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, you can do so in several ways:
- Address: P.O. Box 1799, Route 138, Old Malone Highway, Kahnawake Mohawk Territory, QC J0L 1B0, Canada
- Phone: +1 450 635 1076
- Fax:+1 450 635 1139
- Email: info@gamingcommission.ca
- Complains about a site registered by the KGC: complaints@gamingcommission.ca
There’s also a feedback form you can find on the site that allows you to stay in touch with the company and share your concerns regarding any inconvenience you might have experienced in any of the KGC licensed casinos.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I find Kahnawake casino websites?
Casino sites regulated by the KGC can be found all over the web. To make sure you are playing on a KGC regulated site, just look for the license details usually pinned at the bottom of the screen.
Is it legal to play in these casinos?
Yes, it is. Kahnawake casinos are absolutely legal and safe to play in.
How safe is it to play in these casinos?
In recent years, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission has invested a lot in its safety and security measures due to the bad experience in 2007. The KGC team is aware that they need to go the extra mile to keep their reputation in order, which is why they implemented several layers of protection, including state-of-the-art SSL encryption, various firewalls, DPO’s, and all the other security measures that are rated as first-class ones.
Can I win real money in Kahnawake casinos?
Of course! All KGC regulated casinos offer online gaming for real money.
Tags: Canada | Kahnawake | Licensing & Regulation
