KGC Licence Categories
The KGC reviews applications through checks on matters such as a company’s record, reputation and finances, along with whether it can meet the applicable requirements.
The source identifies these principal KGC licence types:
Interactive Gaming License (IGL)
There is one interactive gaming license, held by Mowhawk Internet Technologies since 1999. It permits the company to host approved CPA operators in Kahnawake.
Client Provider Authorization (CPA)
A Client Provider Authorization is the licence category for online gambling operators such as casinos, sportsbooks and poker rooms. It allows them to provide interactive gaming services from within Kahnawake under KGC rules and conditions.
Inter-Jurisdictional Authorization (IJA)
This authorization is for an online gambling operator that already holds a licence in another jurisdiction. It allows some or all of the operator’s equipment, staff and services to be moved to Kahnawake.
Key Person License (KPL)
Online casinos, sportsbooks and poker rooms applying for a CPA must have at least one KPL issued alongside it. The KPL applies to people carrying out managerial or operational work for the CPA applicant.
Potential Advantages of Kahnawake Licensing
The source lists the following claimed advantages for operators applying to the KGC:
- Tax Benefits: Kahnawake does not levy corporation tax or additional gaming taxes on online operators working within its jurisdiction.
- Relatively Low Fees: KGC application and annual fees are characterized as relatively affordable compared with those of other regulators worldwide.
- Refundable Fees for Failed Applications: application fees may be returned when a licence application is refused.
- Location: the KGC is described as the only online gaming regulator based in North America. It also notes that Kahnawake is located just 20 minutes from Montreal, which may be relevant to staff considering quality of life.
What Kahnawake Regulation Focuses On
The source summarizes the KGC’s core principles as follows:
- Licensing people and companies considered reputable
- Working toward fair games and payment of players
- Protecting young people from gambling-related harm
- Putting safeguards in place to deter criminal activity
Game Software Testing and Licensing
Casinos applying for or holding a KGC licence must demonstrate that their games are fair. It describes the commission as using independent auditing firms to test casino games and software during an application and at intervals, including random checks, over the licence term.
The source names seven third-party auditing firms used by the KGC:
- Scout Intelligence Inc.
- Triton Canada Inc.
- BMM Testlabs
- Quinel
- eCOGRA
- Gaming Associates
- iTech Labs
Applying for a Kahnawake Licence
An operator seeking a Client Provider Authorization (CPA) must submit forms, meet requirements and pay fees. The source characterizes the process as manageable and estimates it can take four to eight weeks.
- CPA Application Form
- Business Entity Information Form
- Personal Information Form
- Key Person License Application Form
- Control System Submission
- The source lists an application fee of $40,000 for the CPA and $5,000 for each Key Person License, with at least one required. It gives annual fees of $20,000 for the CPA and $1,000 for each KPL. At the end of the two-year licence term, applicants seeking renewal are described as paying a renewal application fee of $5,000 for the CPA and $2,500 for each KPL. Application fees can be refunded if an application is refused.
What to Know About Kahnawake Casinos
The source compares the Kahnawake Gambling Commission with regulators such as the UK Gambling Commission and Malta Gaming Authority, and concludes that it is a regulator players can trust. It also states that casinos licensed under the KGC are fair, secure and safe. Those assessments are the views; a licence alone does not prove that a particular casino meets every player’s expectations or is authorized in a player’s location.
