Operating in Kahnawà:ke: ad limits and compliance
Online casino, poker and sports betting may be offered from Kahnawà:ke only by operators holding a Client Provider Authorization from the Kahnawà:ke Gaming Commission (KGC), and a licensee may serve players inside and outside the Territory. The KGC bases its authority on Kahnawà:ke’s claim of sovereignty; federally, the Criminal Code names no First Nation commission among those that may conduct, manage or license lottery schemes, and no province is shown to accept a KGC authorisation as its own licence.
Product by product
Every applicant needs a Client Provider Authorization, and its gaming equipment must sit at the hosting facility in the Territory; no market is shown to accept a KGC authorisation as its own licence.| Product | Status | Licensed by | Tax | Key restriction | Advertising |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online casino | Licensable | Kahnawà:ke Gaming Commission (Client Provider Authorization) | No gambling tax; US$20,000 annual fee | Criminal Code s. 207(1) names no First Nation commission (federal); players inside and outside the Territory may be served; not stated to be accepted as a licence by any province | Content standard only: factual, not false or misleading |
| Sports betting | Licensable | Kahnawà:ke Gaming Commission (same authorisation) | No gambling tax; US$20,000 annual fee | Federal betting offences in Criminal Code s. 202 (federal); no court decision on KGC licensees is reported | Content standard only |
| Poker | Licensable | Kahnawà:ke Gaming Commission (same authorisation) | No gambling tax; US$20,000 annual fee | As for casino | Content standard only |
| Live dealer casino | Licensable | Kahnawà:ke Gaming Commission (operator and studio) | No gambling tax; studio annual fee US$10,000 | The studio needs its own Live Dealer Studio Authorization, in the Territory; studio insurance not less than US$2,000,000 | Content standard only |
| Online lottery and bingo | Limited | Not named on the permit page | No gambling tax | Whether a CPA covers lottery products is not stated; the games a holder may offer are those authorised in its CPA | Advertising a game that is not an authorized game is prohibited |
What changes for a Client Provider Authorization application filed in 2027?
The CPA application fee rises from US$35,000 for complete applications submitted before 1 January 2027 to US$40,000 for those received on or after 1 January 2027, and the Key Person Permit application fee from US$5,000 to US$6,000. Complete applications submitted earlier stay on the old schedule even if decided in 2027. For renewal applications submitted on or after 1 January 2027 the five-year CPA renewal fee becomes US$40,000, inclusive of the annual fee. The annual CPA fee of US$20,000 is unchanged for 2027.
KGC notice on the 2027 CPA fees ↗Regulations concerning Interactive Gaming ↗
Regulator and player protection in Kahnawà:ke
Heads-up for operators
2 items · last change 10 Nov 2026
Federal Bill S-241 (45th Parliament), An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Indian Act, would give the governing body of a First Nation exclusive authority to conduct and manage a lottery scheme from or within its reserve and to license others to do so, after notice to the Government of Canada and the province; it had its second reading on 12 March 2026 and is at consideration in committee in the Senate. It is not law. The Commission’s consultation page lists no proposed amendment to its Interactive Regulations awaiting approval as of 10 November 2026. The Mohawk Council’s application against iGaming Ontario, heard 20-22 February 2024, has no published decision; the KGC states it is not a party and the case has no impact on its operations.
Bill S-241, second reading (federal)
The Senate bill would give a First Nation's governing body exclusive authority to conduct and manage a lottery scheme on its reserve and to license others, after notice to Canada and the province; at consideration in committee in the Senate. Not law.
Not yet in force: drafts, laws adopted without a start date, and sections of the law still to be commenced. An item moves to the timeline below on the day it takes effect.
Getting licensed: apply to the KGC
Gambling tax: No gambling tax: fixed US$ fees
No gambling tax. The Kahnawà:ke Gaming Commission charges licensing fees, not a tax on stakes, turnover or revenue: a Client Provider Authorization (CPA) costs US$20,000 a year, which includes up to six domains, plus US$500 a year for each domain beyond six and US$1,000 a year for each Key Person Permit; the Commission also invoices its costs of assessing control systems and material changes, charges a 10% per annum penalty on unpaid fees and a 5% administration fee on payments in a currency other than US dollars, and fines US$1,000 to US$20,000 per breach. The Kahnawà:ke Gaming Law (1996), which the Regulations cite for the Commission’s powers, is not published on the Commission’s or the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke’s website, so no published text shows whether it sets a levy; the Commission is the body to confirm with.
- Federal
- whether and where a licensee is taxable on income depends on its own residence and permanent establishment, and whether a supply to a player bears GST is a federal question the Commission’s texts do not decide.
Bonus rules: welcome bonuses allowed
The KGC sets no bonus-specific rules: promotions must be factual and not misleading, and bonuses must be covered by liquid funds at all times.
- Welcome bonus
- Allowed
- VIP schemes
- Allowed
No rule caps wagering requirements; account terms must not be unfair or unreasonable to you, and the site must link its terms and game rules.
- Messages ads may not give
- Anything false, deceptive or misleading in a material way (s. 358)
- Indecent or offensive content (s. 358)
- Mandatory disclaimer
None in advertisements; the home page must show a warning of the risks of gaming and links to help (s. 328)
- Penalties
US$1,000 to US$20,000 for each breach (s. 390)
A written direction to stop or change the advertisement (ss. 360-361); suspension or revocation for a breach of the Regulations
Federal: a promotional contest or game of chance must disclose prizes and the facts that affect the chances of winning (Competition Act s. 74.06).
Advertising: most channels open
The Kahnawà:ke Gaming Commission's Regulations set one content standard for every medium and no medium-specific rule: advertising a licensed operator authorises, or that is run on its behalf, must not be indecent or offensive, must be based on fact and must not be false, deceptive or misleading in a material way, and only authorised games may be advertised. No pre-approval is needed; the Commission may order an advertisement stopped or changed. The operator is responsible for the advertising laws of the comparable jurisdictions where it advertises, and federally Criminal Code s. 206(1)(a) makes advertising a scheme of chance in Canada an offence.
| Channel | Status | Vertical & Platform Split (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Meta (FB/IG) | Licensed operators only | Licensed operators only: an operator must hold a valid KGC licence (a Client Provider Authorization) to advertise as licensed by the Commission, and may advertise only authorised games (ss. 355-356). No social-media rule; the content standard of s. 358 applies, and the operator must make all reasonable efforts to keep marketing from players who have asked to be excluded (ss. 299A, 303).1 |
| TV & Radio | Licensed operators only | Licensed operators only: an operator must hold a valid KGC licence (a Client Provider Authorization) to advertise as licensed by the Commission, and may advertise only authorised games (ss. 355-356). No television rule in the Regulations; the content standard (s. 358) and the advertising laws of the comparable jurisdictions targeted (s. 6) apply. Federal: Criminal Code s. 206(1)(a).13 |
| Sponsorships | Licensed operators only | Licensed operators only: an operator must hold a valid KGC licence (a Client Provider Authorization) to advertise as licensed by the Commission, and may advertise only authorised games (ss. 355-356). No rule on sponsorship, uniforms or stadiums; the content standard (s. 358) applies to any marketing the operator authorises.1 |
| Digital OOH | Licensed operators only | Licensed operators only: an operator must hold a valid KGC licence (a Client Provider Authorization) to advertise as licensed by the Commission, and may advertise only authorised games (ss. 355-356). No outdoor rule in the Regulations; the content standard (s. 358) and the advertising laws of the comparable jurisdictions targeted (s. 6) apply. Federal: Criminal Code s. 206(1)(a).13 |
Channel rules for Kahnawà:ke reflect each platform's published policy and the sources numbered in each row (listed under Methodology & sources). Verify with the local regulator and your ad-platform account manager before launching.
How Kahnawà:ke enforces against unlicensed operators
The KGC enforces through its own authorisations: suspension and revocation, fines of US$1,000 to US$20,000 for each breach, written directions to stop or change advertising, and public notices. It has no power to block websites, domains or payments, and it regulates only the operators it licenses. None of its notices read as of 10 November 2026 states a fine decided against a named licensee.
- Regulations s. 181: suspension or revocation on grounds including breach of the Law or Regulations, unpaid fines or fees, and any continuation that could adversely affect Kahnawà:ke's jurisdictional integrity or reputation; immediate action without a show cause period where the public interest or game integrity requires it (ss. 188-189).
- Regulations ss. 390-391: unless another fine is provided, US$1,000 to US$20,000 for each instance of breach, payable within 30 days.
- Advisory notices: Einrai Ltd., revoked effective 2 April 2026 (notice of 9 April 2026); True North, revoked effective 20 August 2025 (notice of 21 August 2025); Polar Ventures SDRL, suspension effective 29 September 2026.
- Notices on sites falsely claiming KGC regulation: Stardust Casino (20 April 2026), an unauthorized website (9 June 2026) and JetSetSpins (19 June 2026).
Traps operators hit in Kahnawà:ke
Specific operational risks that have caught new entrants in this market. Each item is country-specific. Generic gambling-ops issues (KYC, RG tools) are not included unless they have a local twist.
A KGC licence is not a provincial licence
No province is shown to accept a KGC authorisation as its own licence. Federally, Criminal Code s. 207(1) lets only provinces, licensed charities, fair boards and listed others conduct and manage lottery schemes, and names no First Nation commission; no federal or provincial court decision on whether KGC-licensed operators commit the federal offences is reported. Bill S-241, which would change that, is in committee in the Senate and is not law.
Your servers go to the Territory
A CPA holder conducts its gaming from the co-location facility of the one Interactive Gaming Licence holder, wholly within the Territory, and installs there the equipment the Commission needs for regulatory control. The KGC says licensed operators must be hosted at Mohawk Internet Technologies. The Regulations do not mention cloud hosting, so remote or cloud hosting of the gaming systems is a matter to settle with the Commission.
A refusal cannot be appealed
The Commission may deny an application even if every requirement is met (s. 17), and its decisions on authorisations are final and conclusive, with no appeal or review by any court or tribunal (s. 486). For a suspension or revocation you can ask for a hearing before the Commission itself within the show cause period.
Sources4
Fees rise on 1 January 2027
For complete CPA applications received on or after 1 January 2027 the application fee is US$40,000 (from US$35,000) and each Key Person Permit application US$6,000 (from US$5,000); a CPA renewal applied for from that date costs US$40,000 inclusive of that year's annual fee. Complete applications filed earlier stay on the old schedule.
Sources14
Your players' home laws still apply to you
The approved age is the greater of 18 and the age where the player lives, and a CPA holder is responsible for conforming to the laws of comparable jurisdictions, advertising laws included (ss. 6, 9). The KGC does not decide the advertising rules of the countries where players live.
Sources4
Software-only partners are outside the KGC
An operator that only licenses casino software from a CSPA holder must not show the Commission's logo or refer to the Commission or Kahnawà:ke, and the Commission does not regulate it or take its players' complaints (s. 117B). The KGC's self-exclusion does not bind it either.
Sources4
Timeline: rules in force
- 1 Jan 2027
Application fees rise
CPA application US$40,000, Key Person Permit application US$6,000, CPA renewal US$40,000 inclusive of the annual fee.
- 25 Mar 2026
Complaints rules amended
The latest amendment to the Regulations changes when the Commission accepts a complaint before the operator's own process is complete (s. 270).
- 22 Apr 2025
Fee for extra domains
US$500 a year for each licensed domain beyond six on a CPA.
- 11 Jul 2022
Interjurisdictional Authorizations end
No new Interjurisdictional Authorization is offered; the sections are repealed on 30 November 2022.
- 30 Jun 2021
AML-CFT Regulations
The Commission's own anti-money-laundering regulations replace Part XXII of the Interactive Regulations and make every CPA holder a reporting entity to the Commission.
- 10 Jun 1996
Kahnawà:ke Gaming Law
The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke enacts the Kahnawà:ke Gaming Law (MCR No. 26/1996-97) and sets up the Commission. The Law's own text is not published on the Commission's or the Council's website.
Operator myths vs reality in Kahnawà:ke
Common assumptions about gambling licensing that turn out to be wrong in practice.
- MythOur licence from another regulator gets us a KGC licence.Reality
A licence from a comparable jurisdiction is only prima facie evidence of suitability (s. 25); you still apply, pay and pass the KGC review.
Sources4
- MythWe can run the platform from any cloud region.Reality
Gaming is conducted from the co-location facility in the Territory (s. 34). The Regulations do not mention the cloud, so any remote hosting is settled with the Commission.
Sources4
- MythA refusal can be taken to court.Reality
Commission decisions on authorisations are final and conclusive and not subject to any court or tribunal (s. 486). Whether that would hold before a Canadian court is untested in any decision found.
Sources4
Methodology & sources
The research behind our Kahnawake coverage
Counted across every Kahnawake page, not this page alone.
compiled 10 Nov 2026
Across every Kahnawake page on this site: players, operators and the licence guide. The research report behind them cites official sources: the law, the regulator, the gazette, the courts and each platform’s own published advertising policy. Page sections not yet rewritten from the report may cite other sources.
The same research as a 75-page Kahnawà:ke report: every one of the 201 checklist questions, each answer cited to the instrument behind it.
Request the Kahnawà:ke reportOur Deep AI Scan took Kahnawà:ke through all 201 questions of our regulatory checklist, from 64 official documents, read on 10 Nov 2026. Our research team then traced every figure on this page to the document and sentence that states it. The full research report is due to go to our compliance team. Where a fact rests on a press report or a law-firm summary rather than an official document, the page says so.
Documents cited on this page
- 1Regulations concerning Interactive Gaming (Kahnawà:ke Gaming Commission), last amended 25 March 2026
- 2Competition Act (R.S.C. 1985, c. C-34), s. 74.06 (federal)
- 3Criminal Code (R.S.C. 1985, c. C-46), s. 206 (federal)
- 4Regulations concerning Interactive Gaming (Kahnawà:ke Gaming Commission), consolidation of 25 March 2026
- 5KGC advisory notice: Einrai Ltd., revocation of Client Provider Authorization, 9 April 2026
- 6KGC advisory notice: True North, revocation of Client Provider Authorization, 21 August 2025
- 7KGC advisory notice: Polar Ventures SDRL, suspension of Client Provider Authorization, 6 October 2026
- 8KGC advisory notice: Unlicensed online gaming site operating as Stardust Casino, 20 April 2026
- 9KGC advisory notice: Unauthorized website, 9 June 2026
- 10KGC advisory notice: Unlicensed interactive gaming website (JetSetSpins), 19 June 2026
- 11Criminal Code (federal), s. 207
- 12Parliament of Canada LEGISinfo (JSON): Bill S-241, status
- 13KGC: About Interactive Gaming
- 14KGC advisory notice: Increase of fees, 13 August 2026
Other documents this page relies on
- Regulations concerning Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Terrorism Financing (KGC), 30 June 2021Law
- KGC, Interactive Gaming: Permit Holders (the register)Regulator
- KGC Schedule I: Control System Submission (questionnaire, dated 8 January 2021)Regulator
- KGC advisory notice: New fee structure for licensed domains, 22 April 2025Regulator
- KGC, Application process for a Client Provider Authorization (updated 27 October 2023)Regulator
- KGC, Interactive Gaming: Approved AgentsRegulator
- KGC, Interactive fees: Application Related Costs (revised 5 October 2023)Regulator
- KGC, Proposed amendments to the Interactive Regulations: Schedules B and C (notice of 12 November 2025)Law
Also cited on this page
- Criminal Code (federal), s. 202
- Criminal Code (federal), s. 206
- KGC, Land Based Gaming: Licensees
- KGC, Frequently Asked Questions
- KGC and Six Nations Gaming Commission, press release on a second memorandum of understanding, 26 June 2026
- KGC, Schedule D: Application for a Client Provider Authorization (form dated 23 September 2015)
- CRA: Corporation tax rates (federal)
- Indian Act (federal), s. 87
- Excise Tax Act (federal), s. 165
- Games of Chance (GST/HST) Regulations, SOR/91-28 (federal)
- Commission news page: Increase of Fees (13 August 2026)
- CRA: Amounts that are not reported or taxed (federal)
- Schedule M: Comprehensive Self-Exclusion Request (13 Nov 2024)
- 2025 Player Self-Limitation and Self-Exclusion Summary Statistics
- Commission page: Player Protection
- Criminal Code (federal), s. 201
- Parliament of Canada: Bill S-241 (45th Parliament, 1st session), first reading text, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Indian Act
- KGC, Community Consultation
- Parliament of Canada LEGISinfo (JSON): Bill S-268 (44th Parliament, 1st session), status
- Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke, press release on Bill S-268 meetings, 1 May 2024
- Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke, new Gaming Working Group mandate, 19 September 2025
- Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke, press release on the Ontario Superior Court hearing, 20 February 2024
- KGC advisory notice: Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke files legal action against Ontario, 1 December 2022
- KGC, Interactive Gaming: Application Process and Forms
- KGC, Preparing an application for a Client Provider Authorization (updated 2023)
- Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act, s. 5 (federal)
- KGC, Feedback Report, 25 March 2026 (Regulations concerning Interactive Gaming, amendments proposed 29 January 2026)
- KGC, Proposed amendment to the Interactive Regulations, 13 March 2024
- KGC advisory notice: Interjurisdictional Authorizations no longer offered, 11 July 2022
- Commission page: Logo Certificate Program
- Commission page: Dispute Resolution (complaints)
- Proposed amendments to Regulations Part XXIV: Complaints and Dispute Resolution (29 January 2026)
- Advisory notice: 2025 Dispute Resolution Summary (15 January 2026)
64 documents in all. Request the full research report for every source, answer by answer.