For an online casino to legally operate in most countries, it needs to have a licence. To obtain one, it’s got to undergo a series of checks and tests carried out by a regulatory authority. Some of the main organizations that hands out licences to casinos and other gambling sites are the UK Gambling Commission, the Malta Gaming Authority and the Government of Curacao. There’s also the Kahnawake Gaming Commission. This is a lesser-known regulatory authority that’s based in Canadian territory. It hasn’t handed out as many licences as some of the bigger organizations, but it’s still a reputable and trustworthy licence supplier in its own right. In this article, we’ll look at the Kahnawake gambling licence and see how reliable it is.
What Is the Kahnawake Gaming Commission?
First, we’ll run you through exactly what the Kahnawake Gaming Commission is. It’s based in the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory, which is a First Nations reserve near Montreal that’s home to about 8,000 people. It was established in 1996, and its first policies to do with online gambling were enacted in 1999. The reason it was established was so that all real-world and online gambling activities on the reserve could be regulated. There are currently 37 operators that have acquired licences from the commission. These include the following:
- Baytree Interactive Limited;
- DUX Group N.V.;
- Electraworks Limited;
- Fresh Horizons Ltd;
- Leon Curacao Ltd;
- Top Tech Media Limited.
Together, these operators manage approximately 120 gambling sites. Some of these are listed in the table below:
| Site | Summary |
| Foxy Bingo | A popular gambling destination known for its bingo and slingo games; it also offers lots of casino games |
| Party Poker | One of the world’s largest online poker rooms. Play all sorts of poker games and take part in high-stakes tournaments |
| Apollo Slots | A large online casino offering lots of slots, table games and specialty games. It can be accessed through your web browser or downloaded |
| Lucky Spins | Offering games by dozens of popular, reputable providers, Lucky Spins is a great choice for anyone after top-quality casino games |
| Crypto Leo | This is a crypto casino. Only cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Litecoin and Dogecoin can be used here. Offers loads of games and plenty of generous bonuses. |
The commission has also handed out licences to the three poker rooms that are currently in operation on the reserve. For an online casino to operate within the reserve, it has to be licensed. It also has to be hosted on the Mohawk Territory’s own servers. The licensing activities carried out by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission are completely legal, according to the Canadian government. The commission has been up and running for over two decades, and in that time, there have been no legal issues raised. The government seems to be perfectly content with the organization and what it does.
Why Licences Are Important
The vast majority of gambling sites are licensed. It’s very important for an online casino or sportsbook to hold an active licence from a regulatory authority such as the Kahnawake Gaming Commission for a number of reasons:
- In many places, having a licence is a legal requirement for a gambling site to operate;
- Licensed sites appeal to potential customers more than unlicensed ones;
- Authorities that hand out licences regulate gambling and make things fair for both the operator and the customer.
If a site has a licence, it’s effectively been given a seal of approval by the regulatory authority. Should you come across a licensed gambling site, you can rest assured that it’s a safe, secure and trustworthy place to do your online gambling.
Most of the time, an online casino or sportsbook will display evidence of its licence near the bottom of every webpage. You’ll see a logo that takes you to the regulatory authority’s website or some text explaining where the site is licensed. If in doubt, contact the site’s customer support team.
If you find a gambling site that doesn’t have a licence of any kind, it’s best not to sign up. With an unlicensed site, there’s no telling whether it’s reliable or not. Even if it has some good reviews, it’s still recommended that you sign up to a licensed site instead. Licences are important because they show people which sites can be trusted. The companies that hand licences out play a key role in the gambling industry. They oversee real-money gambling and act as mediators should there be any kind of dispute between a customer and a casino or sportsbook. They keep everything in check and actively promote safe, responsible gambling.
Even if you want to play casino games for free, you should still choose a free casino that’s licensed. At most online casinos, you can play free demos of most of the games once you’ve registered and got your account set up. With demo play, you can have as many turns as you like without having to pay. Virtual casino credit is used, and wins and losses don’t affect your real-money account balance at all. Free play is recommended for those who want to try out casino games and see how they work without having to risk their money.
Is a Kahnawake Licence Reliable?
The Kahnawake Gaming Commission has been issuing licences for over two decades. In that time, it’s built up a solid and respectable reputation. It’s known for being an honest, efficient and transparent organization with no major problems or red flags of any kind.
As for the licence itself, this also rates well. The process of obtaining one is quite quick and efficient compared with other licence providers, though there’s no compromise on quality or checks. It takes eight to ten weeks for applications to be processed. This is faster than most other regulatory authorities, mainly because the Kahnawake Gaming Commission doesn’t require as many documents and forms. The fees required to acquire and hold a licence are also fairly low. What’s more is that with a Kahnawake licence, an operator can run multiple sites at once; most other regulatory authorities require a separate licence for each individual site.
Summary
Operators looking to set up gambling sites may want to consider basing their site in the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory. This is because the organization is efficient at what it does, and the licences it issues are very highly respected. A license from the Kahnawake Gaming Commission is reliable. It’s a sure sign that a site has been thoroughly checked over. Sign up for a casino or sportsbook with a Kahnawake licence, and there shouldn’t be any major problems.
