Who regulates
Who regulates gaming in the Mohawk Territory
Gaming in the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawà:ke is licensed by the Kahnawà:ke Gaming Commission, not by Loto-Québec. This page gives the position of each side in its own words, without deciding between them.
By the Kahnawake Guide teamChecked October 13, 2026
The Commission
The Kahnawà:ke Gaming Commission
The Kahnawà:ke Gaming Commission, or KGC, licenses three land-based gaming activities in the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawà:ke. These are poker rooms, raffles and electronic gaming devices, meaning gaming machines. The Commission also licenses online gaming within and from the territory. It is not accepting new applications for land-based poker room or electronic gaming device licences.
Playground appears twice on the Commission's licensee list. Playground Poker Club holds a Poker Room licence, and Playground holds an Electronic Gaming Device licence. The KGC also publishes the latest Return to Player percentages for Playground's machines. RTP is the share of money played on a machine that it pays back over many plays. It is a long-run average, not a forecast for one visit.
Two positions
Two positions on gaming jurisdiction
The KGC describes its authority to license and regulate gaming as a facet of sovereign rights. In its words, Kahnawà:ke holds these rights as a community of Indigenous peoples to govern its own affairs. The Commission notes that a 2007 decision of the Superior Court of Québec considered that authority favourably. Playground's legal page says Kahnawà:ke regulates gaming independently, without the involvement of provincial or federal governments. In 2024 the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke called Kahnawà:ke a legitimate gaming jurisdiction.
In 2019, as reported by CBC, Loto-Québec said that under the Criminal Code only provincial governments may offer games of chance. The office of Québec's finance minister said the issue was being discussed at the Québec-Kahnawà:ke table.
No Québec-Kahnawà:ke gaming agreement had been published by October 2026.
Other rooms
The other licensed poker rooms
Two other poker rooms appear on the KGC licensee list, both on Route 138 like Playground. The Office Poker Club is at Plaza 138, on Route 138. No website or hours were found for it.
River Run Poker is at 2000B Route 138. It was licensed on June 28, 2023. On January 31, 2024, the KGC approved its temporary closure. No notice of reopening was found. Questions about the status of either room are best put to the Kahnawà:ke Gaming Commission.
Notes
- This guide reports the position of Kahnawà:ke and the position of Québec in their own words and does not take a side.
- Return to Player figures for Playground's machines are published by the Kahnawà:ke Gaming Commission, not by this guide.
Questions
Short questions, short answers
- Who licenses Playground?
- The Kahnawà:ke Gaming Commission licenses it. The Commission lists Playground Poker Club as a Poker Room licensee and Playground as an Electronic Gaming Device licensee.
- Is Playground run by Loto-Québec?
- Playground is not a Loto-Québec venue. Its licences come from the Kahnawà:ke Gaming Commission, which licenses poker rooms, raffles and electronic gaming devices in the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawà:ke.
- What does RTP mean?
- RTP stands for Return to Player. It is the share of money played on a machine that the machine pays back over many plays. The KGC publishes the latest RTP percentages for Playground's machines.
- Is River Run Poker open?
- No notice of reopening was found. The KGC approved its temporary closure on January 31, 2024, after licensing it on June 28, 2023.