Kahnawake Gaming Commission permits: what they mean for players

The Kahnawà:ke Gaming Commission (KGC) regulates gaming from the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawà:ke in Quebec, under the Kahnawà:ke Gaming Law and its Regulations concerning Interactive Gaming, first enacted on July 8, 1999. Online operators hold a Client Provider Authorization and run their systems from the territory's licensed data centre. A KGC permit does not authorise a site to serve players in Great Britain, Ontario, Alberta or any US state. To check a site, find its operator and exact URL on the KGC's permit holders list (as of October 2026).

Who is the Kahnawà:ke Gaming Commission?

The KGC is the gaming regulator for the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawà:ke. It oversees online gaming and land-based gaming in the territory, and describes its primary function as protecting players who take part in that gaming (KGC home page). It first made its Regulations concerning Interactive Gaming in 1999 under section 35 of the Kahnawà:ke Gaming Law. The current text was last amended on March 25, 2026, and cites section 24.1 of that law.

The KGC's authority rests on Kahnawà:ke's own law. Canada's Criminal Code, by contrast, allows a province to "conduct and manage a lottery scheme" in that province (section 207(1)(a)), which is the basis for provincial online casinos. A KGC permit is not a provincial authorisation under that section.

What do KGC permits authorise?

The regulations set out several permits:

The regulations make each authorised client provider responsible for making sure its operations conform to the applicable laws of comparable jurisdictions (section 6), and let the KGC use security posted by a permit holder to meet an unfulfilled obligation to a player (section 152). Failing to discharge financial commitments to players is a ground for suspension or revocation (section 181).

What has changed recently?

• Interjurisdictional Authorizations ended (July 11, 2022). The KGC stopped offering them with immediate effect; existing ones run to expiry without renewal.
• Ontario court challenge (2022 to 2024). On November 28, 2022, the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (the community's elected council, not the KGC) applied to the Ontario Superior Court challenging Ontario's reading of the Criminal Code's "conduct and manage" provisions behind its iGaming market. According to Canadian Gaming Business, the court dismissed the application in May 2024, and the council said on May 22, 2024 that it would not appeal.
• Updated regulations (March 25, 2026). The KGC's interactive gaming regulations were last amended on March 25, 2026, and that version is now the one published on its regulations page. The KGC does not publish a summary of what changed, so read the current text rather than relying on older summaries.

Where is a KGC permit valid, and where is it not?

• Ontario: not valid. iGaming Ontario says an operator is authorised only once it has an AGCO registration and an operating agreement with iGO (iGaming Ontario), and the AGCO says it cannot help with disputes involving unregulated sites (AGCO). See how Ontario licenses online gambling.
• Alberta: not valid. According to Canadian Gaming Business, Alberta's regulated market opened on 13 July 2026, and operators must register with AGLC and sign a contract with the Alberta iGaming Corporation before going live.
• Other provinces: section 207 of the Criminal Code lets a provincial government conduct and manage lottery schemes; a KGC permit is issued by the KGC, not by a province, so in our reading it is not that kind of authorisation. Our Canadian listings do not include KGC-only sites.
• Great Britain: not valid. Serving consumers in Great Britain needs a UK Gambling Commission licence (UKGC). Our UKGC licence guide explains how to check one.
• US states: not valid. New Jersey, for example, says any site not on its list "is NOT approved" (NJ DGE).

The KGC itself notes on its permit holders page that not all listed URLs are accessible in every jurisdiction.

How do I check a KGC permit holder?

1. Type gamingcommission.ca yourself and open Permit Holders under Interactive Gaming.
2. Search the operator table for the URL you are using. It has two columns, Operator and URL, and can be sorted by either.
3. Check the operator name matches the company in the site's terms and conditions.
4. Note the "Updated" date at the top of the list. When we checked, it read September 28, 2023, so a newer site may not appear and an older entry may be out of date. If in doubt, email the KGC before depositing.

The list does not show the permit type or a licence number for each entry, so the operator and URL match is the main check.

What a licence seal in a footer does and does not prove

A KGC logo or "licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission" line in a footer does tell you which regulator the site claims. On its own it does not prove the claim, because any logo can be copied. The KGC runs a Logo Certification Program: clicking the official logo on a properly licensed site opens a "Certificate of Good Standing" in a browser window. Trust that certificate only if it opens on gamingcommission.ca, and still check the operator and exact URL on the permit holders list, opened by typing the address yourself. Read our guide to fake casino and sportsbook clone sites for other signs of a copycat.

What player protections and complaint routes come with a KGC permit?

The KGC's complaints page sets out the route:

1. Complain to the operator first. Complaints must go to the permit holder for review before the KGC.
2. Then the KGC, by email to complaints@gamingcommission.ca or the online form, with your name, email, date of birth, country, site name, username, the date and details.
3. The KGC reviews complaints under its regulations, with professional advisors where appropriate, and says "every attempt will be made to facilitate appropriate solutions" between complainants and operators. Its page does not say it can order a payment to you.

The KGC says its ability to help may be jeopardised if a complaint has been addressed before, is being handled by another jurisdiction or organisation, has been ruled on elsewhere, or has been discussed on a public forum or shared with the media. Keep a full record from day one using our gambling complaint evidence checklist. Hub of Luck cannot make an operator or regulator pay. Our complaints hub covers routes in other markets.

What a KGC permit means for players in the UK, Canada and the US

• UK: a KGC-only site is not licensed to serve you, and you lose UKGC protections, GAMSTOP and UK ADR. We do not list such sites.
• Canada: in Ontario and Alberta, use the provincial regulator's list. Elsewhere, a KGC permit is not provincial authorisation; we do not list KGC-only sites.
• US: a KGC permit has no standing in any state.

In practice

• Find the operator company name in the site's terms.
• Check that company and the exact URL on the KGC permit holders list, and note the list's date.
• Read the operator's complaint procedure and save it.
• Do not post your dispute publicly before the KGC has looked at it.
• In Great Britain, Ontario, Alberta or a US state, use a locally licensed site instead.
• If gambling is becoming hard to control, see our safer gambling page.