Kahnawake Gaming Commission

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The Kahnawake Gaming Commission is an organisation that licenses a large number of online casinos and online poker rooms.^[1] It was established in 1996^[2] and is based in Kahnawake 14, Quebec.

It charges a fee for the initial application of $15,000 plus an annual licence fee of $10,000.^[3] License holders are entitled to display the group's logo on their website. The group takes complaints about licensees on its website.^[4]

1 Legality
2 Regulatory Activity
3 Notes
4 External links

[edit] Legality

The legality of the hundreds of casinos operating from Kahnawake (comprising approximately 60% of global online casino traffic) now appears uncertain, since GoldenPalace.com, the world's largest casino, pleaded guilty to illegal internet gambling and was fined C$2 million in relation to its server presence in Kahnawake.

The legality question lies between native rights of the Mohawk tribe, and the Canadian Criminal Code, which states that only the provincial government is permitted to issue casino licences.^[5]

[edit] Regulatory Activity

The Kahnawake Commission lists two complaints on its website, the first being that GoldenPalace.com disrupted the 2004 Olympic Games.^[6] The casino was told by the Commission to make a donation to Mohawk charities and that "Golden Palace will not use, promote, encourage or fund this type of ‘marketing’ ever again". However, the casino proceeded to also disrupt the 2006 Winter Olympics. No action was taken against the casino by Kahnawake.^[7]

An investigation into the activity of Absolute Poker, which was accused of cheating is currently ongoing.^[8]