Kahnawake Jurisdiction

The Kahnawake territory is one of the world’s most recognisable online gambling jurisdictions. This is due in part to the sheer number of online gambling sites licensed by the jurisdiction and also due to its involvement in high profile disputes such as the UltimateBet and Absolute Poker cheating scandal. The Kahnawake Gaming Commission is the body which is responsible for licensing and regulation of online gambling sites which operate within its jurisdiction.

In a happy ending for players, Kahnawake looked out for their best interests (albeit after some delay) and ordered UltimateBet to refund $22 million back to players who had been cheated, and issued a $1.5 million fine. More importantly, the KGC proved that they can be relied on to right wrongs occurring as a result of Kahnawake-licensed gaming companies.

Kahnawake Overview

The Kahnawake Mohawk Territory is an Indian land reserve in Quebec, Canada. This 48 square kilometer area is situated on the St. Lawrence River just across from Montreal. Tribal chiefs comprise most of the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory government, and this government is independent of Canada.

This is the main reason why the Kahnawake Gaming Commission is the only online gambling licenser in North America. Of course, this has caused friction between the tribes and Quebec, but the Canadian government has decided to leave the matter alone.

Kahnawake Licensing Requirements

Though some people have questioned Kahnawake Gaming Commission requirements in the aftermath of the UltimateBet scandal, the organisation claims to be deeply committed to only approving quality gaming companies.

In order to be considered for a Kahnawake gaming license, a company must first pay a $5,000 CAD application fee. After this fee has been paid, another $15,000 CAD needs to be paid in order to cover software testing and an investigation of the company. Assuming the gaming company passes the tests, they are required to pay $10,000 CAD in annual license fees.

Complaints and Dispute Resolution

The Kahnawake Gaming Commission handles any disputes or complaints that arise between players and gaming companies itself. If you need to contact the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, you can use the form located on this page.