How To Get a Kahnawake Gaming License in 2024
Why Kahnawake gaming license is great?
Kahnawake gambling license is a good choice for any startup. The only country that doesn’t allow the Kahnawake license is the USA. All other countries aren’t allowed, but not restricted either.
What’s the Kahnawake?
The Kahnawake Gaming Commission (“Commission”) licenses and regulates online gaming activity within and from the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake.
The Mohawks of Kahnawà:ke are a Mohawk First Nation in Quebec, Canada. Their main territory is Kahnawake 14, which is located on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River across from Montreal.
The Kahnawake Gaming Commission (“Commission”) licenses and regulates online gaming activity within and from the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake.
The Mohawks of Kahnawà:ke are a Mohawk First Nation in Quebec, Canada. Their main territory is Kahnawake 14, which is located on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River across from Montreal.
Countries where the Kahnawake gambling license is allowed
The license provides great coverage. The only Country Kahnawake Gaming Commission doesn’t officially allow is the United States of America.
Non-regulated countries aren’t allowed or restricted. It allows access to all exclusive locations.
Compared to the Maltese license, which doesn’t allow you to operate in countries where gambling is restricted, Kahnawake’s license won’t stop you if you decide to expand.
Practically, you’ll get the same coverage as with the license from Curacao, but with some corks and features.
It’s more flexible as you can get the license for any jurisdiction and don’t have to be physically present there.
The application process is very balanced. It’s not as complicated as the Maltese license, but takes a bit longer than the Curacao license.
Why do you need a Kahnawake license?
The Kahnawake license is a Master License (as opposed to the Curacao sublicense) for a variety of gambling activities.
It’s an excellent choice for any startup because it’s relatively quick to obtain and not as expensive as a Maltese license or Isle of Man license.
Note: You have the assurance that you cannot lose the main license because of a third party. The Curacao sublicense can be lost if the main licensor goes bust.
The biggest difference in obtaining the license is the corporate structure.
In Kawhawake there are no corporate services, which means you don’t have to set up your own business in this jurisdiction.
You can use any other company for this purpose, which makes the structure more flexible and allows you to have a company in BVI, Gibraltar, Costa Rica or elsewhere.
For example, you can have a company in Cyprus for tax reasons. It’s absolutely fine to use this company when applying for the license as long as the owner can be validated for KYC and AML.
Six types of gambling licenses in Kahnawake
1. CPA license (“Client Provider Authorization”)
This is the main online gambling license issued to online operators. Once your business has obtained this license, you’ll be called an “Authorized Client Provider”. It’s a good alternative to the Curacao gambling license if you offer casino games, sports betting, poker, bingo, horse racing or other games of chance.
After your application is approved, you can place your license number along with other important information in the footer of your website.
2. IJA license (“Inter-Jurisdictional Authorizations”)
This license is issued to a business that holds an IGL from another jurisdiction but wishes to locate all or part of its equipment and/or personnel in the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake.
Since the operator and its operations have already been approved by the primary jurisdiction, the Commission doesn’t have to re-complain with these requirements, saving the operator time and money.
On average, it takes two weeks from receipt of the application and fees to issuance of the IJA.
This license is NOT popular because it only allows you to house your servers at Mohawk Internet Technologies.
3. IGL (“Interactive Gaming License”)
This license is used only for land-based casinos.
4. LDSA license (“Live Dealer Studio Authorizations”)
This license is for operators who want to offer live games with real dealers and physical studios.
If you want to open your own live dealer studio in Canada, this license is for you. The physical location must be on the premises of Kahnawake to apply for this license. You must agree to the inspection of the premises to obtain the license according to all fire, safety and environmental standards.
Liability insurance with coverage of at least two million dollars must be obtained.
5. CSPA license (“Casino Software Provider Authorizations”)
It allows the holder to set up and operate gaming devices of the IGL holder and provide casino software to a third-party provider for use on its website. It’s an alternative to B2B licenses in other jurisdictions.
6. KPP (“Key Person Permit”)
All operators with a “Client Provider Authorization” license must designate an individual to perform key managerial functions. This may be your CFO, CEO, CTO, COO, office manager, or any other person appropriate for this role.
It costs USD 5,000.00 to purchase the license, and this amount is part of the total CPA package.
How to get the Kahnawake gambling license
Incorporation of a company
You must first establish your business. Please talk to your accountant or a tax advisor to find out which jurisdictions are best.
There are many ways to optimize taxes, but each case is different and your accountant or financial advisor is the best source for information.
We do all the setup on a case-by-case basis. Different jurisdictions work very well and have a great advantage because you can save hundreds of thousands in taxes with a relatively small investment.
Background checks on beneficiary owners
Beneficiary owner background checks include AML and KYC procedures. Your reputation, background and experience are very important. It’s very helpful if you already have professional experience in the industry to make the process as fast as possible.
Provide documents
You need to submit the following package of documents:
- Copy of passport (notarized and internationally valid).
- Proof of address – original or certified copies of utility bills are sufficient
- Business plan
- Birth certificate
- Certificate of a non-criminal record of good conduct
- Origin of funds
- Bank references of the owners
License application
The final step is the license approval itself.
It’s good if two or three people apply to own the license. You need to name the UBO, the shareholders, the directors and a key person.
All licensed gambling sites receive a validator, which they must include in the footer of a website. The validator is a clickable badge that your players can use to check the validity of your license. It is also a tool that all regulators can use to “fingerprint” active licensees who are genuinely licensed and rogue operators who try to simply insert a non-clickable image and pretend to be licensed.
You may want to start establishing your Payment Agent Company simultaneously to connect PSPs. This payment agent company will also be used to sign Software Providers and open bank accounts in Europe.
The advantages of the Kahnawake license
- With the right structure, you can save massively on taxes. That’s hundreds of thousands of dollars you can save every year.
- The license will attract big sharks. In most cases, serious players want to see the license before they swipe the credit card. The Kahnawake license has a good reputation and is one of the few multinational licenses.
- The geography is super wide! The only market Kahnawake prohibits you from working in is the US. All other countries are open. Download this file to see which countries have their own regulations and which countries ban online gambling in any form.
Cost of a gambling license in Kahnawake
CPA license (“Client Provider Authorization”)
| Feature | Price |
|---|---|
| Due diligence investigation of the applicant company and its principals and a Key Person (non-refundable) | US$15,000 |
| First Annual licensing fee | US$20,000 |
| Key Person license application fee | US$5,000 |
CSPA license (“Casino Software Provider Authorization”)
| Feature | Price |
|---|---|
| Casino Software Provider Authorization license | US$20,000 |
| Due diligence investigation of the applicant company and its principals and a Key Person (non-refundable) | US$15,000 |
| Key Person license application fee | US$5,000 |
Inter-Jurisdictional Authorization license
| Feature | Price |
|---|---|
| Annual licensing fees | US$10,000 |
| One-time application fee | US$2,000 |
Conclusion
It takes about eight to twelve weeks to obtain the Kahnawake license. It involves the establishment of an offshore company.
You’ve a choice of five different license types. The key person license is mandatory if you want to get a CPA license.
Geography. You can work anywhere in the world except the United States. (You can download a list of countries to avoid to avoid unexpected problems with laws and regulators)
The right setup should solve more than just the “license issue”. It should be well planned so that your business can reduce tax liability, open bank accounts, connect PSPs and merchants.
You can fine tune the offer to understand the exact cost of your package by contacting us via email (you can also use WhatsApp for convenience).
Looking for a license that fits your business? In this post, we compare the top 4 most popular gaming licenses.
You can also use the form below and we’ll contact you today!
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