Anjouan Gaming Licence Cost in 2026: Full Fee Breakdown (And the €9,000 Sub-Licence Route)
The short answer: a direct Anjouan gaming licence costs €17,828 to issue and €17,828 a year to renew in official fees alone. Add company formation, agent fees, key-person authorisations and compliance, and most operators spend €25,000–€38,000 in year one. A NexGrate Anjouan sub-licence costs €9,000 per year, all in — and puts you live in weeks, not months.
If you are pricing an online casino licence in 2026, that gap is the whole story. This guide breaks down every line item on both routes, compares Anjouan against Curaçao, Tobique and Costa Rica, and tells you plainly which operators should take the sub-licence and which should not.
Anjouan gaming licence cost at a glance (2026)
| Cost item | Direct licence | NexGrate sub-licence |
|---|---|---|
| Licence issuance fee | €17,828 (one-off) | Included |
| Annual renewal fee | €17,828 | Included |
| Company formation (Anjouan/Comoros IBC) | €2,000–€4,500 | Included |
| Registered agent / annual corporate | €1,200–€2,500 | Included |
| Key-person authorisation | €2,000 per person, annually | Included |
| Due-diligence & compliance file | €1,700–€2,500 | Included |
| Additional domain / URL | €500 each | Contact us |
| ADR provider (mandatory 2026) | €1,000–€3,000/yr | Included |
| Year-one realistic total | €25,000–€38,000 | €9,000 |
| Time to go live | 6–14 weeks | 2–4 weeks |
Figures for the direct route are drawn from the Anjouan regulator's published 2026 fee schedule plus market rates charged by licensing agents. Your own numbers will vary with corporate structure complexity and the number of key persons you need authorised.
What the Anjouan gaming licence actually is
Anjouan is one of the three autonomous islands of the Union of the Comoros, in the Indian Ocean. It has run an offshore financial services regime since the early 2000s, and since May 2023 its gaming licences have been administered by Anjouan Licensing Services Inc. (ALSI), operating under the Anjouan Offshore Finance Authority (AOFA).
The regime was rebuilt at exactly the moment Curaçao was tearing its own down. When Curaçao's National Ordinance on Games of Chance (LOK) came into force and the old master-licence system was wound up — all Curaçao master licences expired in early 2025 — thousands of operators who had been running on cheap Curaçao sub-licences needed somewhere to go. Anjouan absorbed a very large share of them.
Two licence classes exist:
- B2C — for operators running casino, sportsbook, live dealer, poker, lottery and esports products under their own brand. One licence covers all verticals.
- B2B — for platform providers, game studios, aggregators and payment/technology suppliers serving licensed operators.
Both are issued for 12 months and renewed annually.
Why operators choose Anjouan
- 0% tax on gross gaming revenue. No GGR tax, no corporate income tax, no VAT on gaming turnover in the jurisdiction.
- One licence, every vertical. You do not buy a separate casino licence and sportsbook licence.
- Fast. Regulator review typically runs 2–4 weeks on a clean file, against 3–5 months for Curaçao.
- Realistic documentation load. Substantive KYC on owners, but no local office, no resident managing director, no minimum share capital in the Curaçao sense.
- Recognised by the supply chain. The major aggregators, game studios and crypto PSPs onboard Anjouan-licensed operators as a matter of routine.
The official fee schedule: what the regulator charges
These are the published 2026 fees payable to the licensing authority. They are the floor, not the total.
| Official fee | B2C | B2B |
|---|---|---|
| Licence issuance (one-off, non-refundable) | €17,828 | €17,828 |
| Annual renewal | €17,828 | €17,828 |
| Additional domain / URL | €500 each | n/a |
| Licence amendments, replacement certificates | On request | On request |
Two points operators consistently get wrong:
The application fee is non-refundable regardless of outcome. If your file is rejected on due diligence — an unexplained source of funds, an undisclosed adverse record on a UBO, a shell structure the regulator will not look through — that €17,828 does not come back. This is the single largest hidden risk in the direct route, and it is why experienced agents pre-screen a file before it is ever submitted.
Renewal is not a discount on issuance. Some jurisdictions charge a high entry fee and a lower maintenance fee. Anjouan does not. You pay the full amount again, every twelve months, for as long as you hold the licence.
The costs the fee schedule does not show you
The regulator's number is €17,828. The number that actually leaves your bank account in year one is considerably larger.
Corporate formation — €2,000 to €4,500
You cannot hold the licence personally. You need a corporate vehicle, typically an Anjouan or Comoros International Business Company, incorporated before the application is filed. Formation, apostilled documents, certificate of incumbency and certificate of good standing sit in this range depending on the provider.
Registered agent and annual corporate maintenance — €1,200 to €2,500
Recurring every year, separate from the licence renewal.
Key-person authorisation — around €2,000 per person, annually
The regulator authorises named individuals in control functions. Most structures need at least one; a structure with a separate compliance officer and MLRO needs more. This is an annual charge, not one-off.
Due diligence and compliance file preparation — €1,700 to €2,500
Certified passport copies, police clearance certificates, two-year bank references, professional references from a lawyer or accountant, signed CVs, source-of-funds declarations, remote ID verification. All documents must be in English or certified translation, dated within 90 days, with wet-ink signatures — electronic signatures are not accepted. Complex ownership structures attract an additional due-diligence charge.
ADR provider — €1,000 to €3,000 per year
From 2026, licensees must designate an approved alternative dispute resolution provider for player complaints. This is a live commercial contract you have to source and pay for.
Legal and agent fees — €3,000 to €8,000
Anjouan licences are filed through authorised service providers, not directly by the applicant. Agent fees vary enormously and are the least transparent line in the whole budget.
Terms, policies and technical compliance — €1,500 to €4,000
Terms and conditions covering underage play, responsible gambling, KYC and self-exclusion. RNG certificates for your game content. Proof of domain ownership. Geo-blocking configured and evidenced for every restricted jurisdiction.
Add it up: €25,000 to €38,000 in year one, and €22,000 to €30,000 every year after. For an operator testing a new brand, that is a large amount of capital committed before a single player deposits.
The €9,000 sub-licence route, explained
A sub-licence is a permission to operate that sits underneath an existing, fully compliant master licence structure. You are covered by that licence's regulatory standing, you carry its licence reference on your site, and you operate within its compliance framework — while the licence holder carries the corporate, filing and regulatory overhead.
This is precisely the model that made Curaçao the default choice for a decade. It disappeared in Curaçao in early 2025 when the master licences expired. It is available in Anjouan today.
What NexGrate's €9,000 per year covers
- Regulatory coverage under an active Anjouan master licence, with your brand authorised to operate casino and sportsbook verticals
- No separate incorporation — no Anjouan IBC to form, fund and maintain
- No key-person authorisation fees and no annual corporate renewals in your name
- Compliance framework provided — AML/KYC policy set, responsible gambling tooling, self-exclusion, geo-blocking rules, ADR coverage
- Onboarding of your UBOs through the due-diligence process, handled for you
- Renewal handled — one annual figure, no separate regulator invoices to track
- 2 to 4 weeks to live, against 6 to 14 weeks for a direct application
What it does not cover
Honesty matters more than the sale here, so be clear on the limits:
- A sub-licence is not a direct licence in your company's name. If your commercial strategy requires a licence certificate naming your own entity — because an investor, an acquirer or a specific B2B partner demands it — take the direct route.
- It does not change the restricted-country list. The same markets are off-limits either way.
- It does not give you Tier-1 payment processing. No Anjouan licence does. See the payments section below.
- It does not remove your operational compliance obligations. You still run KYC on your players, you still enforce responsible gambling, you still geo-block properly. The framework is provided; the discipline is yours.
Want the number for your setup? Tell us your target markets, verticals and launch date and we will price both routes side by side — direct and sub-licence — with no obligation. Book a demo →
Direct licence vs sub-licence: which is right for you
| Direct Anjouan licence | Anjouan sub-licence | |
|---|---|---|
| Year-one cost | €25,000–€38,000 | €9,000 |
| Ongoing annual cost | €22,000–€30,000 | €9,000 |
| Time to launch | 6–14 weeks | 2–4 weeks |
| Own corporate entity required | Yes | No |
| Licence certificate in your name | Yes | No |
| Regulatory admin burden | Yours | Handled |
| Non-refundable application risk | €17,828 at risk | None |
| Best for | Established operators, groups planning an exit or raise, B2B suppliers | New brands, market tests, affiliates turning operator, operators migrating off Curaçao, lean teams |
Take the sub-licence if you are launching a first brand, testing a market or vertical, migrating from an expired Curaçao sub-licence, or you simply do not want €30,000 a year and a corporate maintenance calendar attached to a brand that has not proven itself yet.
Take the direct licence if you are already turning meaningful GGR, you are raising capital or preparing for acquisition, you need the certificate in your own entity's name, or you are a B2B supplier whose customers will ask to see it.
There is no shame in the first option. A very large number of well-known brands started exactly there and moved to a direct licence in year two or three, once the revenue justified it. NexGrate supports that migration when you are ready.
Anjouan vs the alternatives: 2026 cost comparison
| Jurisdiction | Year-one cost | Annual thereafter | Timeline | GGR tax | Local substance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anjouan sub-licence | €9,000 | €9,000 | 2–4 weeks | 0% | None |
| Anjouan direct | €25,000–€38,000 | €22,000–€30,000 | 6–14 weeks | 0% | None |
| Curaçao (LOK/CGA) | €70,000–€110,000 | €50,000–€70,000 | 3–5 months | 0% GGR, fixed fee | Resident MD, office phasing in by 2028–29 |
| Tobique | €18,000–€36,000 | €18,000–€30,000 | 2–3 weeks | Low | None |
| Kahnawake | US$40,000–US$60,000 | US$25,000+ | 2–3 months | 0% corporate | Local hosting |
| Costa Rica (data processing permit) | €8,000–€15,000 | €5,000–€10,000 | 4–8 weeks | n/a — not a gaming licence | Local company |
| Malta (MGA) | €40,000–€70,000+ | €25,000–€40,000 | 4–6 months | 5% corporate + compliance contribution | Substantial |
Two comparisons deserve a closer look.
Curaçao is no longer the cheap option. Under the LOK regime the annual B2C licence fee alone is €47,450 (split between the National Treasury and the CGA supervisory levy), on top of a €4,592 application fee. Add a mandatory resident managing director, a compliance officer and an MLRO who cannot be the same person as your CEO, a physical office phasing in through 2028–29, and a three-to-five-month process, and realistic year-one spend lands between €70,000 and €110,000. For operators who chose Curaçao in 2019 because it was cheap and fast, the 2026 version is neither.
Costa Rica is not a gaming licence. Costa Rica issues a data processing permit. There is no gaming regulator, no licence certificate, no regulatory oversight. It is cheap for a reason, and an increasing number of aggregators and payment providers will not onboard on that basis alone. If you need something a partner can verify, it does not qualify.
Timeline: how fast can you actually launch?
Direct application
| Stage | Duration |
|---|---|
| Company formation | 1–2 weeks |
| Document collection and certification | 1–3 weeks |
| Application submission | 1–3 days |
| Regulator review and due diligence | 2–4 weeks |
| Issuance and domain registration | 3–7 days |
| Total | 6–14 weeks |
The variable that blows up timelines is almost never the regulator. It is document collection — a police clearance certificate that takes five weeks to arrive, a bank reference the bank has never been asked for before, a notary who will not certify without an in-person appointment.
Sub-licence
| Stage | Duration |
|---|---|
| UBO due diligence and onboarding | 3–10 days |
| Brand and domain approval | 2–5 days |
| Platform configuration and compliance setup | 5–10 days |
| Total | 2–4 weeks |
Requirements: what you will be asked for
Both routes require substantive due diligence on beneficial owners. This is not a rubber stamp, and any provider telling you it is should worry you.
For each director, shareholder and UBO:
- Certified copy of a valid passport
- Proof of residential address dated within 90 days
- Police clearance / certificate of good conduct
- Signed CV
- Bank reference from an institution with a 2+ year relationship
- Professional reference from a lawyer or accountant with a 2+ year relationship
- Source-of-funds declaration
- Remote identity verification
For the business:
- Certificate of incorporation, M&A, shareholder and director registers, certificate of good standing, certificate of incumbency (direct route)
- Domain ownership evidence
- Game content list with RNG certification from a recognised test lab
- Terms and conditions covering underage play, responsible gambling, KYC and self-exclusion
- AML/CFT policy and transaction monitoring approach
- Geo-blocking implementation for restricted markets
Certified copies must be issued by a lawyer, notary or certified accountant, with their full name, title and contact details on the certification. Documents must be in English or accompanied by certified translation. Wet-ink signatures only.
Restricted markets you cannot target
An Anjouan licence — direct or sub-licence — does not permit you to accept players from:
United States · United Kingdom · France · Germany · Netherlands · Spain · Australia · Austria · Comoros (including Anjouan itself) · any FATF-blacklisted jurisdiction · any market subsequently prohibited by the Authority
These are jurisdictions with their own licensing regimes and, in several cases, criminal exposure for unlicensed operators. Geo-blocking must be implemented and evidenced, not merely stated in your terms.
That still leaves large, liquid and growing markets — Latin America, much of Asia, Canada outside Ontario, Africa, Eastern Europe and the CIS, and the crypto-native player base globally. The great majority of Anjouan-licensed GGR is generated in exactly those markets.
The payments question — the honest answer
This is the part most licensing pages skip, and it is the part that determines whether your business works.
Tier-1 processors do not accept Anjouan-licensed gaming. Stripe, PayPal and the major direct Visa/Mastercard acquirers will decline you. That is true of every offshore gaming licence, not just Anjouan — it is a function of card-scheme risk policy, not of this particular jurisdiction.
What actually works:
- Crypto rails. This is the primary infrastructure for offshore operators in 2026, and it is not a compromise — it settles faster, costs a fraction of card processing, carries no chargeback exposure, and the offshore player base already prefers it. NexGrate's platform supports 300+ cryptocurrencies natively.
- Specialist high-risk PSPs. Available, and they will onboard you, but expect merchant fees of 8–12% against 2–3% for a Tier-1 jurisdiction operator. Model this into your margins before you launch, not after.
- Local payment methods in your target markets — PIX in Brazil, UPI in India, mobile money across Africa — usually via regional aggregators, and often the single highest-converting rail you can offer.
Banking follows the same pattern. Mainstream EU and UK banks will not open accounts for Anjouan-licensed gaming. Specialist institutions, Liechtenstein and Caribbean providers, and select Asian banks do, with heavier onboarding requirements and higher minimums.
None of this is a reason to avoid Anjouan. It is a reason to build your payment stack deliberately, crypto-first, before you spend on player acquisition.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an Anjouan gaming licence cost in 2026? Official regulator fees are €17,828 for issuance and €17,828 for annual renewal. Including company formation, key-person authorisations, agent fees, due diligence and compliance, most operators spend €25,000–€38,000 in year one on the direct route. A NexGrate Anjouan sub-licence is €9,000 per year, all inclusive.
Is an Anjouan sub-licence legal? Yes. Operating under an active master licence's regulatory framework is an established, recognised structure — it is the model that ran the Curaçao market for over a decade. Your brand is authorised under a valid licence and operates within its compliance framework.
How long does it take to get an Anjouan gaming licence? A direct application takes 6–14 weeks end to end, with 2–4 weeks of that being regulator review. A sub-licence takes 2–4 weeks from document submission to live operation.
Does Anjouan tax gaming revenue? No. There is 0% tax on gross gaming revenue, 0% corporate income tax and no VAT on gaming turnover within the jurisdiction. Your own tax residency obligations are separate and you should take local advice on them.
Can I run casino and sportsbook on one Anjouan licence? Yes. A single B2C licence covers online casino, live dealer, sportsbook, poker, lottery and esports. You do not need separate licences per vertical.
Which countries can I not accept players from? The United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Australia, Austria, the Comoros Islands, any FATF-blacklisted country, and any jurisdiction subsequently prohibited by the Authority.
Is Anjouan better than Curaçao in 2026? For cost and speed, decisively. Curaçao's LOK regime now runs €70,000–€110,000 in year one with a resident managing director, mandatory compliance officer and MLRO, and a three-to-five-month process. Curaçao carries somewhat stronger brand recognition with certain B2B partners. For most operators launching in 2026, Anjouan is the better trade.
Can I upgrade from a sub-licence to a direct licence later? Yes, and many operators do exactly that once revenue justifies the cost. NexGrate supports the migration.
Do I need a company before applying? For a direct licence, yes — an Anjouan or Comoros IBC must exist before the application is filed. For a sub-licence, no separate gaming entity is required.
What happens if my direct application is rejected? The €17,828 application fee is non-refundable regardless of outcome. This is the strongest argument for pre-screening your file — or for taking the sub-licence route, where there is no application fee at risk.
Get licensed for €9,000 a year
NexGrate provides Anjouan sub-licensing alongside a full turnkey iGaming platform — 5,200+ casino games, a complete pre-match and live sportsbook, 25 languages, 300+ cryptocurrencies and MGA-grade compliance tooling. Licence and platform, one provider, live in weeks.
Tell us your target markets and your launch date, and we will give you a straight answer on whether the sub-licence route fits — including when it does not.
Related reading: Anjouan vs Curaçao Gaming Licence in 2026 · How to Get an Anjouan Gaming Licence: Step-by-Step · Cheapest Gambling Licences in 2026 · Your Curaçao Sub-Licence Expired — What Now?
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Fees and regulatory requirements change; confirm current figures with a licensed advisor before committing capital.