Kahnawake Gaming Commission (KGC) Licence Explained

The Kahnawake Gaming Commission (KGC) is the gaming regulator of the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawà:ke, just outside Montréal in Québec, Canada. It was established on 10 June 1996 and has licensed online gambling since 8 July 1999, the day it enacted its Regulations concerning Interactive Gaming. A KGC permit means the operator is hosted in Kahnawà:ke and accepts the Commission’s player-protection and complaint rules. None of the crypto casinos on our current lists holds a KGC permit, so this page is a plain explainer of the regime.

You will find the legal basis, the five permit types, a step-by-step licence check, the complaint process and what a KGC permit does not cover. To compare it with the licences you will meet more often at Bitcoin casinos, read our pages on the Curaçao Gaming Authority, Anjouan and the Tobique Gaming Commission, the other First Nation regulator in Canada.

Who the KGC is and where its authority comes from

The Commission was set up under the Kahnawake Gaming Law (MCR No. 26 / 1996-97). According to the KGC, its power to license gaming is part of the sovereign right of the Mohawks of Kahnawà:ke to govern their own affairs. Kahnawà:ke is a community of about 8,000 people on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River.

That basis is not the same as a provincial licence. Under Canada’s Criminal Code, the provinces conduct and manage gaming, which is why the KGC’s position has long been debated in Canadian law. The Commission points to a 2007 Superior Court of Québec decision that considered its authority favourably. For a player, the practical point is simple: a KGC permit is a licence from Kahnawà:ke, not from a Canadian province, and it does not make a site licensed in Ontario or anywhere else.

The KGC also regulates land-based gaming in the territory: poker rooms, raffles and electronic gaming devices. This page deals only with interactive (online) gaming.

The five KGC licence and permit types

The KGC issues five kinds of authorisation under its Regulations concerning Interactive Gaming. The old split into “IGL, CPA, IJA and KPL” that many older pages, including the previous version of this one, still repeat is out of date.

The CPA is the one that matters to players. It is what a casino means when it says “licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission”.

The hosting rule

Every KGC-licensed operator must be hosted at Mohawk Internet Technologies, a data centre inside the territory managed by Continent 8 Technologies. This physical link is unusual. Most offshore licences let an operator host anywhere, while the KGC ties its oversight to servers in its own jurisdiction.

What KGC permit holders must do for players

The Commission says its primary function is to protect players at its permit holders’ sites. Its regulations require, among other things:

• a tool that lets you limit your play or deposits, including a limit of zero;
• contract terms between operator and player that are not unfair or unreasonable;
• adequate measures to keep player information confidential;
• rules of play posted clearly in English and other appropriate languages;
• protection of people under 18 and of vulnerable players.

If a site lets you exceed a limit you have set, the KGC asks you to tell it straight away. You can also exclude yourself through the Commission by sending its self-exclusion request form with government-issued ID. Our responsible gambling page lists other tools that work across sites.

How to verify a Kahnawake licence step by step

1. Find the KGC logo in the casino footer. Since 15 January 2010 that logo links to the Commission’s Logo Certification Program.
2. Click it. A licensed site opens a “Certificate of Good Standing” drawn from the KGC database at that moment, showing the licensee and the website details.
3. Check the certificate’s domain against the address bar. A certificate for a different domain does not cover the site you are on.
4. Cross-check the operator and URL on the public Permit Holders list at gamingcommission.ca/interactive-gaming/permit-holders/.
5. Read the KGC news page for suspensions. On 6 October 2026, for example, the Commission announced that it had suspended the Client Provider Authorization of Polar Ventures SDRL with effect from 29 September 2026.

A logo that does not click through, or a certificate that opens on a look-alike domain, is a red flag. Our rating method starts with exactly this kind of licence check.

How to complain to the Kahnawake Gaming Commission

Unlike the Curaçao Gaming Authority, which does not mediate individual disputes, the KGC handles player complaints itself. Its staff includes a full-time Dispute Resolution Officer, and the Commission says it will try to facilitate solutions between players and operators.

1. Submit the complaint to the casino first. The KGC only takes cases that the licence holder has already had the chance to review.
2. Collect your username, the date of the problem, transaction IDs and the full chat or email history.
3. File with the KGC by email to [email protected] or through the form on its Dispute Resolution page. Updates are not handled by phone.
4. Keep the case off public forums and away from the media while it is open.

That last point is not a formality. The KGC warns that it may stop investigating or invalidate a complaint that has already been addressed, is being handled or was ruled on by another regulator or recognised organisation, or has been discussed in public or shared with the media. Even after a suspension, the Commission states that it keeps receiving complaints about the suspended operator.

What a KGC permit protects, and what it does not

For in-house crypto games, a licence and provable fairness are separate questions. Our provably fair guide shows how to check a game’s server seed and client seed yourself.

KGC compared with the licences on our crypto casino lists

See every regulator we cover on the licences hub, or compare the EU route on our Malta Gaming Authority page.

Kahnawake Gaming Commission FAQ

Is the Kahnawake Gaming Commission a legitimate regulator?

It is a real regulator that has licensed online gaming since 8 July 1999 and was established on 10 June 1996 under the Kahnawake Gaming Law. Its authority rests on Mohawk sovereignty rather than on a Canadian provincial licence, so a KGC permit does not make a site licensed in any Canadian province or in your own country.

How do I check if a casino is licensed by Kahnawake?

Click the KGC logo in the casino footer. A licensed site opens a Certificate of Good Standing from the Commission’s database. Confirm that the domain matches the site you are on, then cross-check the operator on the Permit Holders list at gamingcommission.ca.

Does the Kahnawake Gaming Commission handle player complaints?

Yes. After you have complained to the casino, you can email [email protected] or use the form on the KGC Dispute Resolution page. The KGC has a full-time Dispute Resolution Officer, but it may drop a case that has been discussed on public forums, shared with the media or handled by another regulator.

What is a Client Provider Authorization?

It is the KGC permit for online operators. A CPA holder must be hosted at the licensed facility in Kahnawake, Mohawk Internet Technologies, and may offer casino, poker and sportsbook games. There is no limit on the number of CPAs the Commission can issue.

Which crypto casinos on this site hold a Kahnawake licence?

None as of October 2026. The brands on our lists hold Curaçao Gaming Authority, Anjouan or Tobique Gaming Commission licences, and each review explains how to verify them.

Can I self-exclude through the Kahnawake Gaming Commission?

Yes. Send the KGC’s self-exclusion request form with government-issued ID. For limits, contact the casino directly; KGC permit holders must let you set limits, including zero, and you should report any site that lets you exceed them.