Operators that want a long-established licence with North American hosting and a short decision period apply to the Kahnawà:ke Gaming Commission for a Client Provider Authorization.
Selected engagements from more than 250 licences obtained since 2013, for payment, e-money, cryptoasset and consumer credit firms.
Volkswagen
Payment InstitutionObtained Nexpay’s FCA Authorised Payment Institution licence.
Electronic Money InstitutionObtained Dzing Finance’s FCA Authorised Electronic Money Institution licence.
Obtained Orbital’s FCA Authorised Payment Institution licence.
Our realistic timeline from submission, set against the regulator’s own published figures.
Acquiring and payment processing arranged alongside the application, so you take deposits from go-live.
Candidates introduced for senior managers and directors, each assessed against the regulator’s standard.
A reply within three business hours and a written proposal the same day: the licence, the requirements, the cost and the timing.
You will need senior managers who each hold a Key Person Permit, and directors of good character, honesty and integrity.
One engagement and one timetable, from scoping to launch. Speak to an expert about the people, the banking and the technology for this licence.
The regulator’s requirements, capital, timing, fees and the questions firms ask, from the regulator’s own publications.
An operator conducting interactive gaming from the Kahnawà:ke Mohawk Territory, from the co-location facility operated by the holder of the Interactive Gaming Licence, needs a Client Provider Authorization. Casino software providers and live dealer studios hold their own authorizations, and each proposed key person holds a Key Person Permit. The regime is used by operators that want a long-established licence with hosting in North America and a short decision period, serving markets without a local licensing regime.
| Permit | Holder | Application fee | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Client Provider Authorization | Operators conducting interactive gaming from the Territory | US$35,000, including the first annual fee | US$20,000 |
| Casino Software Provider Authorization | Suppliers of casino software to authorized operators | US$35,000 | US$20,000 plus US$3,000 per listed third-party operator |
| Live Dealer Studio Authorization | Studios with equipment installed at the hosting facility | US$25,000 | US$10,000 |
| Key Person Permit | Each proposed key person | US$5,000 | US$1,000 |
| Interactive Gaming Licence | The hosting facility within the Territory | US$30,000 | US$15,000 |
Inter-jurisdictional authorizations were repealed on 30 November 2022. The Commission publishes an application-related costs sheet showing US$40,000 for a Client Provider Authorization with one Key Person Permit and US$30,000 for a Live Dealer Studio Authorization.
| Requirement | Amount |
|---|---|
| Minimum share capital | None stated |
| Security for player obligations | Bond, insurance, lien or charge, cash deposit or other acceptable form, where the Commission requires it |
| Player accounts | In the player’s name at a financial institution or approved body |
The Regulations set no capital figure. The Commission assesses financial position and resources on application and may apply any security it holds to unmet player obligations.
| Figure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Statutory decision period | No fixed decision period; the Commission promptly considers applications; renewal applications at least three months before expiry | Regulations concerning Interactive Gaming, sections 31, 38 and 167 |
| Regulator’s published figure | 4 to 8 weeks, about 1 to 2 months, for the first phase depending on full disclosure, with due diligence of 4 to 6 weeks and a decision at the next Commission meeting; then a 6-month preliminary term, extendable once by 3 months | KGC application process |
| Application preparation | 6 to 8 weeks | From instruction to submission, including banking in parallel |
| Our realistic timeline | 1 to 2 months to the preliminary authorization, then the six-month preliminary term | The firm’s own figure, from the regulator’s published data and its own applications |
Figures published by the regulator are quoted as published and converted to months. The realistic timeline is the firm’s own, for a complete, well-prepared application.
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Client Provider Authorization application | US$35,000 | Includes the first annual fee; US$40,000 with one Key Person Permit; part is non-refundable due diligence cost and the first annual fee is returned if the application is not granted |
| Annual fee | US$20,000 | Late payment penalty of 10% a year |
| Five-year renewal | US$5,000 | US$40,000 including the annual fee from 1 January 2027 |
| Key Person Permit | US$5,000 | On application; US$1,000 a year; US$6,000 from 1 January 2027 |
| Fees from 1 January 2027 | US$40,000 | Application fee including the first annual fee; applications submitted before that date are assessed under the fees in force at submission |
| Gaming duty | None | The Regulations set no duty on gaming revenue |
| Professional fees | Fixed, in writing | Quoted after scoping |
The Regulations do not address permitted or prohibited target jurisdictions; the Commission’s position for each market is agreed with it before launch. Operators serving regulated markets hold the local licence in each, such as the Gambling Commission licence for Great Britain; the firm obtains each licence in the group’s structure.
The Regulations and the KGC’s published process set out what the Commission looks for.
An operator needs acquiring, alternative payment methods and player accounts held in the player’s name at a financial institution or Commission-approved body. The firm arranges acquiring and player-funds accounts through institutions that accept the sector, during the application, with the compliance framework prepared to their standard. See banking and payment processing.
The KGC publishes about four to eight weeks for the first phase, with due diligence of four to six weeks and a decision at the next Commission meeting, followed by a six-month preliminary term before the full authorization. The firm plans for one to two months to the preliminary authorization.
US$35,000 on application including the first annual fee, or US$40,000 with one Key Person Permit, then US$20,000 a year and US$5,000 on five-year renewal. From 1 January 2027 the application and renewal fees are US$40,000; applications submitted earlier are assessed under the current fees.
The Regulations state no requirement for a locally incorporated company or resident directors. The local presence is hosting: gaming is conducted from the co-location facility wholly within the Territory.
At Mohawk Internet Technologies, the data centre in the Territory managed by Continent 8 Technologies; live dealer studio equipment is installed at the same facility.
The Regulations set no duty or tax on gaming revenue. The KGC makes no statement on taxation; the wider tax position follows the operator’s structure.
A regulatory advisory firm to payment, e-money and cryptoasset companies since 2013, with more than 250 licences obtained in more than 60 countries. The firm advises on authorisation, compliance, safeguarding, banking and transactions, and builds the white-label payment and card technology its clients launch on.
A written proposal on cost, timing and requirements, the same day: speak to an expert.
This guide is general information for firms considering authorisation and is reviewed against the regulator’s published requirements. It is not legal advice; requirements and fees change, and the regulator’s current publications take precedence.
The requirements, the cost and the timing for your business, in a written proposal the same day.