playground.ca Legal Policy

“Playground” and “Playground Poker” are Mohawk-owned gaming establishments that are duly licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission (KGC), both of which are located within the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake.

The Mohawks of Kahnawake have historically asserted their sovereign jurisdiction over the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake. Since 1999 Kahnawake has become a world leader in regulating online gaming which has since expanded to land-based gaming activities, including the regulation of poker and Electronic Gaming Devices.

The community, through the elected Mohawk Council of Kahnawake, and under the authority delegated to the Kahnawake Gaming Commission (KGC), regulates all gaming activities within its boundaries. Kahnawake’s gaming-related activities continue to be regulated independently and without the involvement of Provincial and/or Federal Governments.

The Mohawks of Kahnawake (Kahnawa’kehró:non) have a rich history and vibrant culture. Kahnawake is one of eight communities that make up today’s Mohawk (Kanien’kehá:ka) Nation. The Mohawk Nation is one of Six Nations that make up the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, which also includes the Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca and Tuscorora Nations. The Haudenosaunee is one of the world’s oldest democracies and is governed by the Great Law of Peace (Kaianerehkó:wa).

Kahnawake is located on the South Shore of the St. Lawrence River, just 15 km south of downtown Montreal, Quebec. Kahnawake’s land base is 12,000 acres that includes what is known as the Kahnawake Indian Reserve. The Mohawks of Kahnawake also claim the Seigneury of Sault St. Louis – which was a seigneurial land grant from 1680, which includes Kahnawake’s current territory as well as an additional 24,000 acres along Kahnawake’s eastern and western borders.

Kahnawake retains authority over programs and services within a number of jurisdictional areas that include control in whole or in part in the sectors of: justice (Court of Kahnawake and the Kahnawake Peacekeepers); education; social services; health; economic development and gaming.

On June 10, 1996, the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake established the Kahnawake Gaming Commission (KGC). The Commission is empowered to regulate and control gaming and gaming related activities conducted within and from the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake in accordance with the highest principles of honesty and integrity. The KGC enforces regulations designed to ensure that “only suitable persons/entities operate within Kahnawake,” and “all games offered are fair to the player,” and “all winners are paid.”

The Kahnawake Gaming Commission is recognized internationally.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION:

View the KGC's Regulations Concerning Poker Rooms.
View the KGC's Regulations Concerning Electronic Gaming Devices.
View the KGC's List of Poker Room Permit Holders.

For more information on the KGC, their authority to license and regulate gaming and a list of FAQs, please click here.