The Kahnawà:ke Gaming Commission (KGC) has appointed Donna Delaronde as Chairperson and added Vicky Diabo as a Commissioner as the Mohawk Territory continues work towards updating the legislation governing its gaming regulator.
Delaronde's appointment as Chairperson took effect on 26 August. She has served on the Commission since 2024 and was re-appointed alongside Heather Bauersfeld for a further two-year term in October 2025.
Diabo joined the Commission on 17 August for a one-year term following approval by the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke. The Council approved the appointment by majority, with Chief Jeremiah Johnson recording an objection.
The objection centred on how commissioners are selected. Section nine of the Kahnawà:ke Gaming Law provides for commissioners to be elected by the community alongside Mohawk Council general elections, while appointed commissioners form an interim Commission until that system is implemented.
Commissioners have continued to be appointed since the law was introduced in 1996.
Grand Chief Cody Diabo acknowledged that the legislation provides for elections but said the existing interim arrangement must continue while the Gaming Law undergoes the Community Decision Making and Review Process.
A technical drafting team is being assembled to support the review of legislation that has received only limited changes since its introduction 30 years ago.
The leadership changes also follow regulatory activity during 2026. Amendments to the Regulations concerning Interactive Gaming were approved in March, while changes covering electronic gaming devices were approved in July.
The KGC also plans to increase application and renewal fees for Client Provider Authorisations and Key Person Permits from January 2027.
Established in 1996, the KGC regulates online casino, poker and sportsbook activity alongside land-based gaming in the Mohawk Territory. Its interactive gaming regulations have been in place since 1999, with licensed online operators required to be hosted at Mohawk Internet Technologies.
In July, Atlantic Lottery expanded its online casino offering into Prince Edward Island as regulated online gambling continued to develop across Canada. The launch followed Alberta opening its market to private operators alongside its government-run platform.
The KGC currently regulates four land-based poker room licensees and two electronic gaming device licensees within Kahnawà:ke
