Online gambling licences establish trust between players and casinos. These are issued by various gambling authorities, of which the Kahnawake Gaming Commission is one.
Online gambling commissions are responsible for issuing online casino licences. The permit will be applicable within a particular jurisdiction, depending on the issuer. Some of the most respectable online gambling authorities are the Malta Gaming Authority, the UK Gambling Commission, and the Gibraltar Betting and Gaming Association.
While you might wonder if the geographical location of the licensing authority indicates their jurisdiction, this is usually not the case. The Maltese licence is held in high regard and used as a benchmark for numerous countries besides Malta, including the remainder of the EU and North America. The most respectable online casinos for Canadian players usually have a Maltese licence attached to their name.
Canada’s Casino Licensing Authority
Even though foreign licensers are commonplace within the Canadian online casino industry, there’s one local authority, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, that issues licences to specific online casinos. The commission is somewhat of a peculiarity since it strictly operates within its defined geographical area within Canada, namely the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory.
Kahnawake, a First Nations reserve of the Mohawk tribe, is located on the southern shore of the St Lawrence River in Quebec, just across from Montreal. The territory has a population of approximately 8,000 residents and spreads over an area of 30 square kilometres. While this location might have slipped under your radar, it is one of the best places in Canada for online gaming.
The territory is heavily dependent on gambling revenue. Subsequently, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission provides gambling licences to online casinos, poker, and sportsbook websites, making the commission a respected name within the global online gambling market segment.
Furthermore, the territory is home to Mohawk Internet Technologies (MIT). The company is a local data centre that manages and hosts many online gambling websites and is the closest one would get to legal, locally hosted gambling sites.
The Benefits of a Kahnawake Licence
The primary benefit of the Kahnawake licence is its comparatively lower cost compared to other overseas providers. The commission also allows various payment methods.
The Kahnawake Gaming Commission promotes responsible and fair gaming at all times. Applicants are thoroughly screened to ensure they conform to the commission’s acceptable norms. And, even after a licence is issued, the member casinos continue to be regularly monitored and their operations reviewed.
Essentially, the licence affords every player protection and ensures that online casinos always adhere to the licensor’s policies and procedures. By putting your mind at ease, you are more likely to gamble at those casinos that guarantee your rights, even when a dispute might arise.
Also, Kahnawake licences do not include any corporate or gaming taxes that must be paid after obtaining the permit.
Casino Requirements for Obtaining a Kahnawake Licence
As part of its screening process, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission collects information from online casinos to ensure that they are sound entities, including:
- Original certificates of no criminal record from the owners
- Bank references of the owners
- Personal financial statements (all shareholders, directors, and ultimate beneficial owners)
- List of all games offered
- List of all gaming software providers selected
- Confirmation of the use of random number generators (RNG) and the fairness of the system
- Hosting of servers within the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory
All the documents that are supplied must not be older than 90 days and, where required, must be certified.
Although it’s often an overlooked jurisdiction, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission is a world-class gaming authority that’s 100% Canadian. Kahnawake licences are respected and carry an excellent reputation throughout the online casino industry. Seeing a Kahnawake licence logo on your favourite online casino website ensures fair play and player protection each time you spin to win.