Anjouan Gaming Licence Application Process 2026 Guide

The Anjouan gaming licence application process runs through the Anjouan Gaming Commission, and it follows a short, fairly linear path once your company and file are ready. First you register a local company and appoint a registered agent. Then you compile the personal and corporate documents, submit them for a completeness check, pass due diligence, and receive the licence on approval. This guide sets out each stage in order, the documents the Commission asks for, the vetting behind the scenes, a realistic timeline for each stage, the full cost picture, and what most applicants get wrong.

What an Anjouan gaming licence application involves

Anjouan is an autonomous island in the Union of the Comoros, and its online gaming regime runs on the Computer Gaming Licensing Act No. 007 of 2005. The Commission issues a single authorisation that covers online casino, sportsbook and esports betting, poker, bingo, lottery games, and crypto or blockchain games. So the licence type does not change with your product. What changes is the class you apply for and the evidence you file behind it. For the wider jurisdiction overview, the Anjouan gaming licence pillar sets out the framework end to end.

The framework splits the authorisation into two classes by who you serve. A B2C licence covers an operator that runs games and holds the player relationship. A B2B licence covers a supplier that provides the platform, games, or software without touching player funds. Both classes move through the same four regulator stages, but the technical and financial evidence differs. That means the class you pick shapes your document file more than it shapes the steps.

The Anjouan gaming licence application process step by step

The Commission publishes a four-stage review, but the real work starts before stage one, because you cannot submit until the company exists and the file is built. The sequence below sets out how to apply for an Anjouan gaming licence from a standing start. Treat the times as planning ranges, since each stage depends on how complete your file is.

1. Register the licence-holding company and appoint a local registered agent.
2. Compile the personal, corporate, and technical documents into one file.
3. Submit the application and pay the applicable fee to the Anjouan Gaming Commission.
4. Pass the completeness review, then the due diligence and background checks.
5. Receive the licence, which the Commission records on its public register.

Stages three and four are where the Commission takes over. You can review the official Anjouan Gaming Commission process page for the current forms and fee instructions. Once the licence is granted, anyone can confirm it, and our guide on how to verify an Anjouan gaming licence shows what the register and validator seal display.

Company setup and registered agent before you apply

Every applicant holds the licence through a legally registered company, usually an International Business Company. You appoint a registered agent, and you keep that agent and a local registered address in place for as long as the licence is active. The company is the entity the Commission licenses, so it must exist before you file the first form.

Published guidance differs on whether the holding company can sit offshore or must be formed on Anjouan. In practice most operators register the licence-holding vehicle locally and keep any group parent elsewhere. Confirm the current structure with your agent before you incorporate, because that choice affects both your document file and your annual maintenance cost. Our Anjouan company formation for iGaming guide covers the incorporation side, and hands-on gaming company incorporation support keeps the entity and the application moving together.

Documents the Anjouan Gaming Commission requires

The document file is where most of an Anjouan online gambling licence application succeeds or stalls. The papers fall into two groups: personal documents for each key person, and corporate and technical documents for the company and its platform. Gather every item before you submit, because a single missing paper sends the file back rather than into review.

• Notarised passport copy for each owner, director, and beneficial owner
• Proof of address dated within the last three months
• Police clearance or clean criminal record confirmation
• Curriculum vitae setting out relevant experience
• Bank reference and a professional reference from a lawyer or accountant
• Declaration and evidence of source of funds
• Business plan with target markets and projected volumes
• Written AML, KYC, and responsible gaming policies
• Random number generator certificates from an accredited testing lab such as BMM or GLI
• Proof of domain ownership and the player terms and conditions

The bank and professional references usually assume a relationship of about two years, which is hard for a newly formed company. The framework does not spell out the fix. So if your licence vehicle is a fresh company, ask your agent whether references from the beneficial owners are accepted instead, and what wording the letters need. Settle this before you submit, because a reference gap is a common reason an application stalls. For the full eligibility set behind these papers, see the Anjouan gaming licence requirements.

Due diligence and background checks

The Commission vets the people behind the company as closely as the company itself. Every owner, director, and ultimate beneficial owner goes through know-your-customer and due diligence checks. The published criteria are clear on the basics: a key person must be at least 18, must not appear on sanctions lists, and must carry no relevant criminal record in the last three years.

Two points stay undefined, and both matter for planning. First, the framework asks for good character and a sound business reputation, but it does not publish a precise test. So a past insolvency, a civil dispute, or adverse media may or may not weigh against an applicant. Second, it does not state the exact shareholding percentage that pulls a minority investor into vetting. In most cases the practical rule is to disclose every beneficial owner and prepare a clean profile for each, rather than guess a threshold. Disclose issues early rather than leaving the Commission to find them.

What the application costs in outline

The headline fee is only part of the Anjouan gaming licence application process. Published statutory figures start from around 20,000 USD, and once you add corporate setup, testing, compliance, and banking, the full first-year outlay commonly reaches about 20,000 to 30,000 USD, with a similar figure to renew each year. The Commission can revise its tariff, so confirm the current numbers in writing before you model the budget. The table below lists the cost lines that sources rarely break out.

Anjouan applies zero tax on gross gaming revenue, so the recurring spend is the licence, the agent, compliance, and payments rather than a tax bill. Server and player-data hosting can add a further line, because published guidance points to a local hosting expectation and the detailed specifications are not defined in public. Confirm the hosting requirement with the Commission before you architect the platform, since it changes your infrastructure plan.

A realistic timeline for the Anjouan gaming licence application process

Published estimates for the Anjouan gaming licence timeline range from a few days to several weeks, because they measure different things. The regulator’s own review of a complete file commonly runs about four to eight weeks. Company formation happens first, and payment onboarding usually runs longest of all. The table breaks the Anjouan gaming licence steps into stages so you can plan against each one rather than a single headline number.

The licence itself can arrive quickly once the file is clean. Banking is the part that sits outside this schedule. Arranging gaming-friendly accounts and payment rails often takes longer than the licence, so start it in parallel rather than after approval. A gaming-ready iGaming bank account opening process typically takes months, which makes it the item to begin first.

Common rejection reasons and the appeals question

Most refusals trace back to the people and the paperwork, not the platform. The reference-letter gap for new companies is the first common trap. The undefined good-character test is the second, because applicants assume an old dispute is irrelevant and do not disclose it. Thin source-of-funds evidence is the third, since a bare statement rarely satisfies the Commission on a larger project.

Back the funds declaration with tax returns, audited accounts, or investment agreements. The framework does not publish a minimum capital threshold, and it does not set out a formal appeals or cure window either. So there is no confirmed number of days to fix a flawed file, and no published route to challenge a refusal. That means the first submission is the one that counts. File a complete, well-evidenced package rather than a fast one, and confirm any unwritten point with the Commission in writing before you apply.

What the Anjouan licence does not cover

Meeting every requirement does not open every market. An Anjouan authorisation does not grant access to the European Union, the United Kingdom, or the United States, and each of those markets needs its own national licence. The United Kingdom, for example, requires a licence from the UK Gambling Commission before you can serve British players. The licence also covers online activity only, not land-based gambling.

Regulated markets such as Romania and Bulgaria issue their own licences too, and an offshore permit does not substitute for them. Your AML programme should map to a recognised standard, and many operators align their controls with the Financial Action Task Force, whose recommendations sit at fatf-gafi.org. If you are weighing the Comoros options, the neighbouring Mwali gaming licence follows a similar offshore model. Decide your target markets first, because that answer shapes both your compliance plan and your banking plan.

Frequently asked questions

How do I apply for an Anjouan gaming licence?

You register a local company with a registered agent, compile the personal, corporate, and technical documents, then submit the file and fee to the Anjouan Gaming Commission. The Commission runs a completeness review, then due diligence on the owners, and issues the licence on approval. Building the company and the document file comes before the Commission stage.

How long does the Anjouan gaming licence application process take?

The Commission’s review of a complete file commonly runs about four to eight weeks. Company formation happens first and adds one to two weeks, and document preparation adds one to three more. Arranging banking usually takes the longest, so run it alongside the application rather than after it.

What documents does the Anjouan Gaming Commission require?

Expect notarised passports, proof of address, police clearance, a CV, bank and professional references, source-of-funds evidence, a business plan, and written AML, KYC, and responsible gaming policies. RNG certificates, domain ownership proof, and player terms are also required. A single missing item is enough to hold up the review.

What does an Anjouan gaming licence cost?

Published statutory figures start from around 20,000 USD, and the full first-year outlay commonly reaches about 20,000 to 30,000 USD once company formation, testing, compliance, and banking are added. Anjouan applies zero tax on gross gaming revenue. Confirm the current tariff with the Commission, because it can revise the figures.

Do I need a company registered in Anjouan?

You need a legally registered company to hold the licence, usually an International Business Company, together with a local registered agent and address. Published guidance differs on whether the holding entity itself must sit on Anjouan. Confirm the current structure rule with your agent before you incorporate.

What can reject an Anjouan gaming licence application?

The common causes are a reference gap for new companies, an undisclosed integrity issue against the good-character test, and thin source-of-funds evidence. Targeting a prohibited market can also block an application. The framework does not publish a formal cure window or appeals route, so a complete first submission matters.

What activities does the Anjouan licence cover?

The Anjouan Gaming Commission issues one authorisation that covers online casino, sportsbook and esports betting, poker, bingo, lottery, and crypto or blockchain games. The class you hold, B2C or B2B, sets who you can serve rather than which games you can run. The licence covers online activity only.

Does an Anjouan licence let you operate in the EU, UK, or US?

No. An Anjouan licence does not grant access to the European Union, the United Kingdom, or the United States. Each of those markets requires its own national licence. Confirm the reach you need before you choose Anjouan as a base.

Getting the Anjouan application right

The Anjouan gaming licence application process rewards sequence and evidence: a registered company, a clean and complete file, vetted owners, and a platform with the right technical proofs clear the Commission faster than a file assembled out of order. The unwritten parts, hosting scope, good-character boundaries, and reference substitutes, are best settled in writing before you submit. Once your corporate structure, documents, and compliance plan are set, the application follows a fairly standard path. Contact contact@licencegaming.com or call +356 99408536 to review your file and confirm the open points before you apply.