Anjouan – license to gamble or fantasy island?

If you’ve been around for a while, you’re probably familiar with the main gambling licenses out there, either it’s Curacao, Malta, UKGC or others. You may have spotted in the recent years a new authority emerging, the Anjouan regulator. And perhaps thought to yourself: are operators now building artificial islands for licensing or what's up?

Jokes aside, Anjouan is very much real, beautiful volcanic island in the Comore and the authority licensing casinos, and acting professionally and throrough in their activities. The main benefit for new casinos which apply for a license here are the relative lower cost and really fast approval rates.

A bit of context. The ABGB aka the Anjouan Betting and Gaming Board has actually been established a long time ago, in 2015, so it’s nothing new per say, it’s just become a larger trend in recent year. The gaming license extends to various forms of online gambling, such as casinos, sports betting, poker, lotteries, bingo, and even blockchain-based games. In recent years, it has become a more affordable option compared to expensive casino licenses. This choice provides several tax advantages, such as exemption from value-added tax and corporate income tax, as well as a 0% rate on the company's gross gaming revenue.

What does Anjouan do for the operator? Operators with an Anjouan gambling license have the opportunity to address to various global markets, but it is still mandatory for them to adhere to the gambling regulations in each specific country. Anjouan Licensing Services Inc. has been entrusted with the entire permit process as the sole authorized representative and license administrator of the regulator. In order to be a licensed casino in Anjouan, the operator must submit an application to the regulatory authority, which is Anjouan Licensing Services Inc. To begin the application process, potential licensees must provide a comprehensive business plan as well as evidence of operational systems.

Additionally, they will undergo extensive due diligence and be subject to Know Your Customer (KYC)/Anti-Money Laundering (AML) screenings for the company's directors. The Anjouan Gaming Board offers a much faster licensing process, ensuring applicants are notified within 2-6 weeks.

What does this license mean for the player? Not much really, there really doesn’t make a difference for the end user, whether it’s Curacao licensed or Anjouan licensed, the operator commits to same set of rules and regulations in each country. You will see many new casinos having emerged in the past 2 years owing such a license, brands like BettyWins, Legiano or AllySpin. What we can tell you is that so far they have been equally compliant and responsive as any Curacao or Malta licensed brands.