How to get a license in Anjouan in 2023: licensing conditions and application process

Anjouan license has become one of the most widely discussed topics in the iGaming community in 2023. With the upheaval of the status quo caused by reforms in the Curaçao gambling licensing regime, Anjouan seems to be a very timely solution.

Boosted by uncertainty in Curaçao, Anjouan’s profile is rapidly rising. Here we’ll give you a full overview of the current igaming licensing situation in Anjouan. 

What happened with the Curaçao license?

Curaçao, a constituent country in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, has long been famous for the relative ease of its iGaming license application process.

While the island is independent in terms of legislation and government, it still had to request financial aid from the Netherlands during the COVID-19 pandemic — promising to amend the gambling sector as a condition for receiving the bailout.

As a result, Curaçao announced changes in its licensing system in 2023. Among those changes are the establishment of the Curaçao Gaming Authority as a new regulator, as well as a total overhaul of the licensing system: instead of giving the master licensees a right to grant sub-licenses and determine licensing conditions and requirements themselves, the government will now control the whole process, guaranteeing iGaming industry standards and maintaining its reputation as a transparent, compliant, and safe environment.

Though Curaçao keeps postponing the date of the transition, letting licensed operators work under the previous conditions and prepare for the changes, there’s growing concern throughout the worldwide gambling community.

The Curaçao license used to be one of the easiest ones to get, and even though the changes are meant to improve the regulator’s reputation, they will most probably make the whole process more difficult for applicants.

The shake-up has pushed operators to carry out detailed research, and their attention was ultimately drawn to Anjouan — to topic of today’s discussion.

Anjouan island

Anjouan (Ndzuwani) is an island (and a remnant of a large shield volcano) in the Comoros archipelago in the Indian Ocean. The majority of the population is Muslim, which is the official religion in the region. There are three official languages: Comorian, Arabic, and French — Comoros became independent from France in 1975. The capital of Anjouan is Mutsamudu.

Comoros’ agriculture-based economy is one of the smallest in the world, and with low levels of education, limited exports, and high population growth, the country relies heavily on foreign contributions — and giving the country a good reason to attract iGaming businesses. 

Anjouan gambling license

Anjouan offers gambling licenses to operators from all over the world. This jurisdiction was until now underrated, but in light of recent events it is drawing more and more interest.

In 2005, the Computer Gaming Licensing Act 007 of 2005 entered into force, establishing the Anjouan Betting and Gaming Board (ABGB), which has the power to grant gambling licenses. Flying under the radar until recently, the Anjouan license has become known for its low licensing fees and simple application process. 

Besides the obvious advantages of legal business operation, the Anjouan license covers all forms of gambling, which means operators can acquire one permission and offer any gambling products, including online casino games, sport betting, poker, and B2B services.

The Anjouan license is also universal in its geography: licensees are authorized to operate almost anywhere in the world. Exceptions are the USA, Australia, Austria, the Comoros, France, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, and the UK.

Another massive advantage is that Anjouan doesn’t require operators to pay a GGR tax.

The Anjouan gambling license is valid for one year and has to be renewed annually. However, the issuance of the license can take as little as three weeks.

When you take stock of the advantages of the Anjouan license, you can see why it’s drawing so much attention. 

Anjouan license vs. Curaçao license

To give you an idea about what to expect from Anjouan, we’re providing a comparison with the Curaçao license. As you can see, the Anjouan license is a great — perhaps even preferable — alternative.

The Anjouan license is a great opportunity for beginning operators who don’t want to risk big sums of money but would like to start and run their business legally.

How to apply for Anjouan gambling license

The application process is simple, but it does require attention to detail. This is what is needed to obtain a gambling license in Anjouan:

• A detailed business plan
• Absence of criminal records for key person or compliance officer 
• Proof of domain ownership and a compliant website 
• Compliance with AML, responsible gaming, and underage gaming policies
• Testing and certification for RNG of in-house developed games 
• Servers located in Anjouan

Just like in every other jurisdiction, applicants undergo background checks and due diligence. Besides complying with the jurisdiction’s policies of protecting players and running a transparent business, every key person must submit the following list of documents:

• Copy of a passport
• Utility bill
• Certificate of no criminal record
• Resume
• Letter (reference) from a bank
• Original professional letter of reference from an accountant or lawyer (Relationship must be longer than 2 years)
• Copies of agreements with providers and a third party RNG testing certificates
• Proof of domain ownership
• Copies of Terms & Conditions (describing the responsible gaming policies, underage gaming policy, and a KYC policy)

How can Slotegrator help?

Slotegrator is an online casino and sportsbook software developer and an aggregator of gaming content. We have over 10 years of industry experience to draw on, so we have all the knowledge you need for smooth operation. 

Keeping everything legal and above board is the best way to minimize risk — get yourself a suitable license to avoid unwanted consequences of black operation.

Online gambling is a fiercely competitive industry, and you need a fully loaded platform in order to keep up. Every gambling platform should offer diverse content, including new releases and updates, and valuable bonuses. Our APIgrator solution aggregates over 15,000 titles from more than 100 providers all over the world, replacing a pack of different contracts with a single session of integration.

And finally, it takes an efficient platform to manage everything mentioned and more — read more about our turnkey platform modules in this article and feel free to contact us to learn more about how it can be useful for new and experienced operators.