Anjouan internet gaming licence
Anjouan has become one of the most-used low-cost entry points for online gaming operators, and unlike its financial-services reputation, the gaming regime has visible working apparatus: a defined B2C and B2B category structure, a published fee schedule, a public register, an enforcement policy and a due diligence process. It is a single licence covering casino, sports betting, poker and other verticals, issued by the Anjouan Gaming authority under the laws of the Autonomous Island of Anjouan.
Anjouan gaming licence at a glance
Fees and structure are taken from the authority's own published schedule and framework pages. The one thing that cannot be cited is a named statute — the site refers to Anjouan law without identifying the instrument.
Supervisory authority
Anjouan Gaming, described as the internet gaming regulatory authority, administered under the Anjouan Offshore Financial Authority with an Anjouan Gaming Board.
Legal basis
Stated as 'the laws of the Autonomous Island of Anjouan'. No specific gaming act or ordinance is named on the authority's site — confirm the governing instrument before relying on it.
- Licence categories
- B2C (operator) and B2B (supplier)B2C covers online casino, sports betting, poker and other permitted verticals under one licence. B2B covers platform, software and technical service providers to licensed B2C operators.
- Licence issuance fee
- EUR 17,828 — B2C and B2B alikeOne-time, payable with the application; application fees are non-refundable regardless of outcome.
- Annual renewal fee
- EUR 17,828Due before the renewal date set by the authority.
- Additional domain / URL
- EUR 500 eachB2C only. Only approved operational domains may be used with the licence.
- Currency
- EuroAll fees payable in EUR.
- Due diligence
- Mandatory before issuanceCorporate and structural review to ultimate beneficial owner, key person fitness and propriety checks on directors, owners and senior/compliance staff, and source of funds assessment.
- Ongoing standards
- AML/CTF, responsible gaming, data protection, fair gamingOperators must appoint a designated compliance officer and maintain CDD, transaction monitoring, suspicious activity reporting and record keeping.
- Public register
- MaintainedLicensed entities are listed and can be verified. An interactive licence seal on the operator's site links to the register entry.
- Enforcement
- Compliance notices, penalties, suspension, revocationA graduated enforcement framework, with actions published under the enforcement policy.
- Financial resources
- Adequacy assessed, no published minimumApplicants must demonstrate adequate financial resources for the proposed operations; no fixed capital figure is published.
Anjouan gaming and Anjouan financial services are different regimes with different track records. The gaming licence is real and administered; the island's offshore financial-services history is separate and poor. Do not carry a judgement about one across to the other.
What the Anjouan licence covers
A single B2C licence authorises a range of verticals, which is the main reason operators choose it — most regimes licence each activity separately.
- Online casino — slots, table games and live casino under the B2C operator licence.
- Sports betting and a sportsbook offering.
- Poker, whether cash games or tournaments.
- Other permitted gaming verticals as defined in the licence conditions.
- B2B provision — platform, game content, aggregation and technical services to licensed B2C operators, under a separate B2B licence.
The licence authorises operation from Anjouan. It does not override the rules of the markets where players are located — regulated markets such as the UK, most of the EU, and the US require their own local licences, and the Anjouan licence gives no access to them.
The Anjouan application process
The authority describes a staged process running from submission through due diligence to issuance. Applications are reviewed in the order received, subject to completeness.
Incorporate and assemble the corporate file
2–4 weeksCorporate registration, articles of incorporation, shareholder registers and any trust or intercompany arrangements — enough for the authority to trace ownership to the ultimate beneficial owners.
Prepare key persons for fit-and-proper review
2–4 weeksDirectors, beneficial owners and senior management or compliance staff undergo identity verification, background checks and review of professional history.
Document source of funds and financial resources
2–4 weeksEvidence of the source of funds and of adequate financial resources to support the proposed operations. No fixed capital figure is published, so this is assessed against the business.
Build the compliance framework
3–6 weeksAML/CTF procedures with a designated compliance officer, responsible gaming controls, data protection, and fair gaming and clear consumer disclosure as required by the code of conduct.
Filing: AML/CTF programme and responsible gaming policy
Submit the application with the fee
Same day to fileThe application forms and mandatory documents, with the EUR 17,828 issuance fee. Application fees are non-refundable whatever the outcome.
Filing: Internet Gaming Licence application, EUR 17,828
Authority review and due diligence
4–8 weeksThe authority reviews for completeness, completes regulatory due diligence, and may request clarification before advancing the application.
Issuance, domains and the licence seal
OngoingOn approval, the licence issues subject to conditions. Register approved domains (EUR 500 each), and display the interactive licence seal linking to the public register entry.
Payment processing and platform provider acceptance, not the licence, are usually the critical path for a gaming launch. Confirm that your payment and game providers work with Anjouan-licensed operators before committing.
What an Anjouan gaming licence does and does not give you
Covered by this licence
- Online casino, sports betting and poker under one B2C licence
- B2B supply of platform and software to licensed operators
- A verifiable public register entry and licence seal
- A single-licence, multi-vertical structure
Not covered — separate licence required
- Access to regulated markets (UK, most EU, US)Those markets require their own local operator licences
- A named governing statute you can citeThe authority refers to Anjouan law without identifying the instrument
- Any financial-services or forex authorisationEntirely separate — and, unlike gaming, not evidenced. See the forex page
- Guaranteed payment processing or game contentNegotiated separately with providers, and the usual practical constraint
Ongoing obligations of a licensed operator
The regulatory standards are enforced through ongoing supervision and periodic review, with a graduated enforcement framework behind them.
Customer due diligence, ongoing transaction monitoring, suspicious activity reporting and record keeping, with a designated compliance officer.
Responsible gaming controls as part of the regulatory standards applicable throughout the licence term.
Clear disclosure of terms, bonus conditions, wagering requirements and withdrawal conditions before a consumer transacts; no misleading or deceptive practices, under the code of conduct.
Data protection controls as specified in the regulatory standards.
Use only approved operational domains, maintain accurate representation of licence status, and display the interactive licence seal linking to the register.
Compliance reporting, periodic reviews and cooperation with the authority, with escalation where deficiencies are identified.
The two things to keep straight
Anjouan is unusual in that its gaming regime and its financial-services reputation point in opposite directions. Getting this distinction right protects you in both directions.
- The gaming regime is real and administered: register, enforcement, published fees, categories, code of conduct and licence seal. That is what this page covers.
- The island's offshore financial-services history is separate and poor — mass cancellation of banking licences in 2005 and a central bank statement in 2014 that no offshore financial licences had been issued. None of that is about gaming.
- No specific gaming statute is named on the authority's site. The regime functions, but a cautious operator should ask for the governing instrument in writing.
- The licence does not reach regulated markets. Serving players in the UK, most of the EU or the US requires a local licence there, and marketing into those markets on an Anjouan licence is a compliance risk in those jurisdictions.
- An Anjouan gaming licence is not, and does not imply, any forex, financial-services or crypto authorisation. If someone offers you an 'Anjouan licence' for a brokerage, see the forex page — that regime could not be evidenced at all.
When Anjouan fits a gaming operator
Best for
- Startups and smaller operators wanting a low-cost, single-licence entry covering multiple verticals.
- Operators serving grey markets where a recognised low-cost licence is sufficient for payment and platform partners.
- B2B suppliers seeking a licensed status to work with Anjouan-licensed B2C operators.
- Operators testing a product before committing to the cost and timeline of Malta, the Isle of Man or a comparable tier-one regime.
Not for
- Operators targeting regulated markets such as the UK, most EU states or the US, which require local licences.
- Businesses that need a named, citable governing statute for their own compliance or investor requirements.
- Anyone who arrived looking for a forex or financial-services licence — that is a different and unevidenced regime.
- Operators whose payment or game providers decline Anjouan-licensed entities, which should be checked first.
Related routes
Comparing Anjouan against Curaçao, Malta, the Isle of Man and other jurisdictions.
Anyone offered an 'Anjouan licence' for a brokerage rather than a gaming operation.
The financial-services regime could not be evidenced — the opposite conclusion from this page.
Anjouan gaming licence — frequently asked questions
The authority's published schedule sets licence issuance at EUR 17,828 for both B2C and B2B, with annual renewal also EUR 17,828 and additional domains at EUR 500 each for B2C. All fees are in euros and application fees are non-refundable. These are the authority's own figures; the total cost of launching also includes incorporation, compliance build, and payment and platform arrangements.
A single B2C licence covers online casino, sports betting, poker and other permitted verticals under one authorisation, which is the main attraction of the regime — most jurisdictions licence each activity separately. B2B licences are issued to platform, software and technical service providers supplying licensed B2C operators.
The regime has the apparatus of a working one: defined licence categories, a published fee schedule, a public register with a verifiable licence seal, a due diligence process, regulatory standards covering AML and responsible gaming, a code of conduct, and an enforcement policy with suspension and revocation powers. The one gap is that no specific governing statute is named on the authority's site, so a cautious operator should request the legal instrument in writing.
No. It authorises operation from Anjouan but does not override the rules where players are located. Regulated markets such as the UK, most EU member states and the US require their own local operator licences, and marketing into them on an Anjouan licence creates exposure in those jurisdictions. Anjouan suits grey markets, not regulated ones.
No, and the distinction matters. The gaming regime described here is administered and evidenced. The island's financial-services licensing is a separate regime with a poor record — no statute, no register and a 2014 central bank statement that no offshore financial licences had been issued. If you were offered an 'Anjouan licence' for a brokerage, read the forex page before proceeding.
The authority runs a staged process from submission through due diligence to issuance, reviewing applications in the order received. A realistic estimate is a couple of months from a complete filing, though the actual constraint on launch is usually arranging payment processing and platform providers rather than the licence itself.
Fees and framework details were taken from the Anjouan Gaming authority's published pages on 24 July 2026. No governing statute is named on those pages. Confirm the current fee schedule and the legal basis directly with the authority before relying on them.