The **[Anjouan Gaming Commission](/glossary#anjouan-agc)** has emerged as one of the fastest-growing [offshore](/glossary#offshore) gaming licensing authorities in the world — and for good reason. For operators who need a credible, affordable licence faster than **Malta [MGA](/glossary#mga)** or **[UKGC](/glossary#ukgc)** can deliver, Anjouan offers a regulated framework backed by the Autonomous Island of Anjouan within the Comoros Union. This guide covers everything an operator needs to know: the licence itself, which banks and EMIs accept Anjouan-licensed businesses, what payment processing looks like in practice, and how it compares to the alternatives. --- ## Table of Contents 1. [What Is the Anjouan Gaming Commission?](#what-is-the-anjouan-gaming-commission) 2. [Anjouan Licence Types and Requirements](#anjouan-licence-types-and-requirements) 3. [Anjouan Licence Costs and Timeline](#anjouan-licence-costs-and-timeline) 4. [Anjouan Banking: What Actually Works](#anjouan-banking-what-actually-works) 5. [Best EMIs for Anjouan-Licensed Operators](#best-emis-for-anjouan-licensed-operators) 6. [Offshore Banks That Accept Anjouan Operators](#offshore-banks-that-accept-anjouan-operators) 7. [Payment Processing for Anjouan Operators](#payment-processing-for-anjouan-operators) 8. [Anjouan vs Curaçao vs Kahnawake: Full Comparison](#anjouan-vs-curacao-vs-kahnawake-full-comparison) 9. [Corporate Structure for Anjouan Licensing](#corporate-structure-for-anjouan-licensing) 10. [AML Requirements Under the Anjouan Framework](#aml-requirements-under-the-anjouan-framework) 11. [Who Should Choose Anjouan?](#who-should-choose-anjouan) 12. [Frequently Asked Questions](#frequently-asked-questions) --- ## What Is the Anjouan Gaming Commission? The **[Anjouan Gaming Commission (AGC)](https://www.anjouangaming.com)** is the online gaming regulatory authority of Anjouan, one of the three autonomous islands that make up the Comoros Union in the Indian Ocean. The Commission issues licences to online casino operators, sports betting companies, poker rooms, and gaming software suppliers operating internationally. Anjouan occupies a specific niche in the licensing landscape: it offers a faster, cheaper route to a regulated framework than **Malta MGA**, **Gibraltar**, or **UKGC** — while providing meaningfully more credibility than unregulated operations and, in the view of many banking compliance teams, comparable standing to **Curaçao** post-2023 reform. **Key characteristics:** - **Autonomous jurisdiction** within the Comoros Union; the gaming licence is issued under Anjouan's own regulatory authority - **Fast issuance:** 4–8 weeks from complete application submission - **English-language framework:** all documentation, licensing requirements, and communication in English - **[FATF](/glossary#fatf)-aligned [AML](/glossary#aml) standards:** the AGC requires [KYC](/glossary#kyc), ongoing transaction monitoring, and AML/CTF policies consistent with international standards - **Growing processor recognition:** the AGC has worked to expand payment processor acceptance, and several mid-tier processors now formally include Anjouan in their accepted licence list --- ## Anjouan Licence Types and Requirements ### Online Casino Licence The primary B2C licence for operators offering casino games — slots, live dealer, table games, virtual sports. Covers real-money gaming to international players. **Requirements:** - Legal entity incorporated in an acceptable jurisdiction (Anjouan itself, BVI, Seychelles, Malta, or other jurisdictions accepted by the AGC) - Full **[KYB](/glossary#kyb) documentation:** [certificate of incorporation](/glossary#certificate-of-incorporation), constitutional documents, register of directors and shareholders, **[UBO](/glossary#ubo)** declaration - Certified ID and proof of address for all UBOs and directors - **AML/CTF Policy** specific to online gambling operations - **Age verification procedures** — evidence of processes to prevent underage gambling - **[Responsible gambling](/glossary#responsible-gambling) framework:** deposit limits, [self-exclusion](/glossary#self-exclusion) tools, player cooling-off periods - **[RNG](/glossary#rng) certification** from an accredited testing laboratory (eCOGRA, BMM Testlabs, or GLI) for casino games - Bank reference for the principal ### Sports Betting Licence Standalone licence for fixed-odds and in-play sports betting operators. Covers all sports and esports markets. ### Poker Licence For dedicated online poker rooms offering ring games and tournaments. ### Gaming Software Supplier Licence For B2B suppliers providing platform software, game content, or payment services to AGC-licensed operators. Required for white-label providers serving Anjouan licensees. --- ## Anjouan Licence Costs and Timeline ### Application Fees | Category | Fee | |---|---| | Online Casino Licence application | USD $15,000–$20,000 | | Sports Betting Licence application | USD $12,000–$18,000 | | Annual licence fee (renewal) | USD $10,000–$15,000 | | Software Supplier Licence | USD $8,000–$12,000 | | Key personnel assessment | USD $1,000–$2,000 per person | Fees are broadly comparable to **Kahnawake** and **Tobique** — significantly lower than MGA (€25k–€125k application) and UKGC (£17k–£75k+). **Tax position:** Anjouan is a fee-based licensing jurisdiction. There is **no corporate income tax (CIT) on offshore-sourced income** and **no gaming or GGR tax** — the licence fee itself is the only fiscal obligation to the jurisdiction. Effective CIT and gaming tax costs are **0%**. This is a significant advantage over tax-based regimes like Malta (35% headline CIT, 5% effective after refund) or Gibraltar (10% CIT + 0.15% of GGR). ### Timeline - **Application assessment:** 4–8 weeks for complete applications - **Licence to operational:** 6–10 weeks from first submission This is faster than any regulated European or North American licence, and broadly comparable to Curaçao's post-reform timeline. The AGC's responsiveness and English-language support make it practical for operators who need to move quickly. --- ## Anjouan Banking: What Actually Works The Anjouan licence sits in a similar banking position to **Curaçao post-2023** — not at the level of MGA or UKGC, but with a clear and growing track record that specialist banking providers will work with. **What opens with an Anjouan licence:** - **Eastern European EMIs** (Lithuania-licensed in particular) that have developed iGaming-specific risk frameworks are increasingly comfortable with Anjouan licensees who can demonstrate clean AML documentation and a credible compliance framework - **Georgian banks** (Georgian banks) assess offshore-licenced operators on the quality of their KYB package rather than the specific licence name — a well-structured Anjouan application stands a realistic chance - **Belize-based financial institutions** — Belize has longstanding relationships with Indian Ocean jurisdiction operators and is familiar with the Anjouan framework - **Offshore EMIs** licensed in Seychelles, SVG, or Cayman — these have the most flexible [risk appetite](/glossary#risk-appetite) and are the most accessible for early-stage Anjouan operators **What remains difficult:** - **EU clearing banks** apply blanket exclusions to offshore-licensed gaming regardless of the specific regulator - **Tier-1 payment processors** (major card acquirers, a mainstream payment processor) do not have formal Anjouan [onboarding](/glossary#onboarding) policies; manual risk reviews are required and approval is not guaranteed - **[FCA](/glossary#fca)-authorised UK EMIs** are increasingly cautious about sub-MGA offshore gaming licences, particularly as the FCA has tightened its supervisory expectations on [EMI](/glossary#emi) risk management **The practical approach:** Anjouan operators typically begin with an offshore or Lithuanian EMI, build 6–12 months of clean processing history, then use that history as the foundation for a banking upgrade — either to a Georgian bank account or eventually to a higher-tier processor. > For a full overview of offshore banking options for gaming operators, see our [Best Offshore Banks for High-Risk Businesses](/blog/best-offshore-banks-high-risk) guide and our [Offshore Banking for iGaming](/blog/offshore-banking-igaming) guide. --- ## Best EMIs for Anjouan-Licensed Operators **a Lithuanian EMI (Bank of Lithuania)** — one of the most consistently accessible Lithuanian EMIs for offshore-licensed gaming operators, including Anjouan licensees. Multi-currency IBANs, straightforward onboarding for complete applications. **a Lithuanian crypto-friendly EMI (Bank of Lithuania)** — accepts selected offshore gaming operators including Anjouan licensees with strong compliance documentation. Known for responsive compliance teams and 2–4 week onboarding. **a Lithuanian EMI (Bank of Lithuania)** — suitable for smaller operators (under €100k/month). Faster onboarding than larger EMIs; [SEPA](/glossary#sepa)-focused. **a Lithuanian EMI (Bank of Lithuania)** — selective on offshore gaming; pre-screen essential. Works with Anjouan operators who have clean processing history and demonstrate strong AML frameworks. **Offshore-licensed EMIs (SVG, Belize, Seychelles)** — several offshore EMIs explicitly include Anjouan in their accepted licence list. Higher fees (3–5% FX spreads, $50–$200/month maintenance) but accessible for early-stage operators or those who have been declined by European EMIs. Use these as transitional accounts while building history, not as permanent infrastructure. > For the full EMI comparison by industry, see our [Best EMIs for High-Risk Businesses](/blog/best-emis-for-high-risk-businesses) guide. --- ## Offshore Banks That Accept Anjouan Operators **a Georgian bank (Georgia)** — assesses Anjouan-licensed operators pragmatically. The key factors are quality of the AML policy, full UBO transparency, [source of funds](/glossary#source-of-funds) documentation, and the operator's transaction profile. A well-prepared application with 6+ months of clean EMI statements has a realistic approval rate. **a Georgian bank** — similar risk appetite to a Georgian bank. Preferred for operators with USD-heavy transaction profiles or international wire infrastructure needs. **Belize-based institutions** — historically friendly to Indian Ocean jurisdiction operators. USD access through Canadian or Caribbean correspondent banks; functional for operators not requiring EUR settlement. **Recommended structure for an Anjouan operator:** - **Lithuanian EMI** (a Lithuanian EMI or a Lithuanian crypto-friendly EMI) as primary operational account - **a Georgian bank Georgia** as [treasury account](/glossary#treasury-banking) (target after 6–12 months of EMI history) - **Backup offshore EMI** at a different institution for operational resilience --- ## Payment Processing for Anjouan Operators Anjouan operators have access to a mid-tier payment processing universe — broader than unregulated businesses, narrower than MGA or UKGC licensees. | Processor | Anjouan Acceptance | Debit Card Rate | Notes | |---|---|---|---| | a card acquirer | Selective | 3.0–5.5% | Manual review; possible with strong docs | | Paysafe / a major European e-wallet | Yes | 3.0–5.0% | Consistent Anjouan acceptance | | PaymentWall | Yes | 3.5–5.5% | Good alternative payment method coverage | | a high-risk payment processor Cashier | Yes | 3.5–5.5% | Payment orchestration; aggregates multiple processors | | a mainstream payment processor | No | N/A | Excludes all gaming regardless of licence | | a major card acquirer | Selective | 2.5–4.5% | Requires significant processing history | | 2000Charge | Yes | 4.0–6.0% | Offshore specialist; accessible for smaller operators | | Payvision | Selective | 3.0–5.0% | Netherlands-based; formal risk review required | **Alternative payment methods** are important for Anjouan operators serving markets where card acceptance is difficult. **Crypto payment gateways** (commission-based crypto payment processors) are popular among Anjouan-licensed casinos for players who prefer crypto deposits. **E-wallets** (major European e-wallets, ecoPayz) provide reliable coverage in most European markets. **Rolling reserves:** expect **8–12% held for 90–180 days** as standard for new Anjouan-licensed merchants — higher than the 5–10% typical for MGA operators. Clean [chargeback](/glossary#chargeback) history below 1% over 12 months is the primary route to reserve reduction. > For the full payment processing guide, see our [High-Risk Payment Processing](/blog/high-risk-payment-processing) and [High-Risk Merchant Account Guide](/blog/high-risk-merchant-account-guide). --- ## Anjouan vs Curaçao vs Kahnawake: Full Comparison | | Anjouan AGC | Curaçao GCA | Kahnawake KGC | |---|---|---|---| | Jurisdiction | Comoros (Indian Ocean) | Netherlands Antilles | Canada (First Nations) | | Regulatory standing | Emerging — growing recognition | Reformed 2023 — moderate | Established since 1999 | | Application fee | USD $12k–$20k | USD $17k–$35k | CAD $10k–$30k | | Timeline | 4–8 weeks | 4–8 weeks | 8–16 weeks | | EMI acceptance | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate–High | | Offshore bank acceptance | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate–High | | Debit card rate (typical) | 3.0–5.5% | 3.5–7.0% | 2.0–4.0% | | Rolling reserve | 8–12% | 10–15% | 5–10% | | AML framework | FATF-aligned | FATF-aligned (since 2023 reform) | FATF / FINTRAC | | Annual compliance cost | Low | Low | Low–Moderate | | Player trust (EU/UK markets) | Moderate | Lower post-2023 | Moderate | | Crypto-friendly | High | High | Moderate | The Anjouan licence competes directly with Curaçao for the fast, affordable offshore licensing segment. Its advantage over Curaçao is that the 2023 Curaçao reform made that licence more expensive and slower; its disadvantage is that it has less historical recognition. Kahnawake retains an edge in banking access due to its longer track record. > For the Curaçao deep-dive, see our [Curaçao Gaming Licence & Business Banking](/blog/curacao-gaming-licence-banking) guide. For Kahnawake, see our [Kahnawake Gaming Banking](/blog/kahnawake-gaming-banking) guide. --- ## Corporate Structure for Anjouan Licensing ### Recommended Entity Types **Anjouan IBC** — the AGC allows and simplifies licensing for entities incorporated locally in Anjouan. Low incorporation cost; practical for operators who want a single-jurisdiction structure. **Seychelles IBC** — one of the most commonly paired entities with the Anjouan licence. Low cost, flexible constitutional documents, and familiar to the EMIs and offshore banks that serve this market. **BVI IBC (British Virgin Islands)** — also widely accepted by the AGC. BVI entities have better correspondent bank recognition than Seychelles or Anjouan entities, though both still require specialist banking providers. **Malta Ltd** — accepted by the AGC and allows a dual-licence structure (MGA + Anjouan) for operators expanding from the regulated EU market into broader international markets. ### What Banks Want to See Regardless of the corporate entity, banking counterparties will scrutinise: - **Full UBO transparency** — no nominee directors or shareholders without disclosure of the beneficial principal - **Source of funds for startup capital** — documented evidence, not a self-written declaration - **Business plan with financial projections** — a realistic revenue model for the first 12 months - **Clean background checks** on all UBOs and directors --- ## AML Requirements Under the Anjouan Framework The AGC's AML requirements are consistent with **[FATF's core recommendations](https://www.fatf-gafi.org/en/topics/fatf-recommendations.html)** and cover: - **Mandatory KYC before first deposit** — identity verification (government-issued ID + proof of address) for all players before they can deposit real money - **Enhanced due diligence** for high-risk players — those depositing large sums, from high-risk jurisdictions, or showing unusual patterns - **Transaction monitoring** — documented procedures for identifying and reviewing suspicious patterns - **Source of funds checks** — for players depositing above defined thresholds - **[PEP](/glossary#pep) and [sanctions screening](/glossary#sanctions-screening)** — against [OFAC](/glossary#ofac), EU, UN, and other major lists before accepting any player - **Self-exclusion tools** — players must be able to self-exclude; exclusion requests must be honoured within 24 hours - **Annual AML policy review** — the AGC requires the AML/CTF policy to be reviewed at least annually The AGC does not mandate a specific software vendor for transaction monitoring or KYC verification, which gives operators flexibility to choose tools appropriate for their customer profile and volume. > For the full AML compliance framework, see our [AML/KYC Compliance for High-Risk Businesses](/blog/aml-kyc-compliance-high-risk) guide. --- ## Who Should Choose Anjouan? **Anjouan is the right choice for:** **Start-up operators** entering the iGaming market who need to be operational within 2–3 months and cannot wait 12–18 months for MGA or 6–12 months for UKGC. The Anjouan licence gets you into the market quickly while you build the operational history and financial track record needed for a premium licence upgrade. **Curaçao migrants** moving away from the legacy Curaçao sub-licence system who want comparable speed and cost but are evaluating alternatives to the reformed Curaçao GCA framework. **Crypto-native operators** — the Anjouan framework is crypto-friendly, accepting BTC/ETH for player deposits and has no specific restrictions on crypto-based gaming models that some other regulators have introduced. **Operators targeting emerging markets** (Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia) where MGA or UKGC licensing is not commercially necessary — these markets' players are less sensitive to the specific regulatory brand. **White-label operations** that need a licensing framework for a short-term launch while the main operating entity obtains a more prestigious licence. **Anjouan is not the right choice for:** - Operators primarily targeting UK consumers (UKGC required) - Operators primarily targeting regulated EU markets (MGA or domestic licence required) - Businesses that need Tier-1 payment processor acceptance (major card acquirers) immediately - Operators who have existing banking relationships with European banks — those banks are unlikely to accept an Anjouan licence holder --- ## Frequently Asked Questions **Is the Anjouan licence legitimate?** Yes. The Anjouan Gaming Commission is the official regulatory authority of the Autonomous Island of Anjouan within the Comoros Union. The licence is issued under Anjouan's own legislative framework and carries legal standing within that jurisdiction. It is not a European regulatory licence and does not carry EU-market access rights — but as an international offshore licence, it is legitimate and its AML requirements are substantive. **Can I target UK and EU players with an Anjouan licence?** Technically, nothing in the Anjouan licence itself restricts which markets you target. However: UK players require a UKGC licence to be legally served; many EU member states require domestic or MGA licences for marketing within their territory. Operating towards regulated markets without the appropriate licence creates regulatory and enforcement risk. The Anjouan licence is best suited for markets where offshore licensing is accepted. **How quickly can I start processing payments with an Anjouan licence?** Realistically, 8–14 weeks from starting the licensing process: 4–8 weeks for the licence, plus 3–6 weeks for EMI onboarding. Payment processor setup runs in parallel. If you start EMI applications during the licence process, you can be processing within 8–10 weeks of starting the application. **How does the 2023 Curaçao reform affect the comparison with Anjouan?** The **Curaçao Gaming Authority (GCA)** reform, which took effect in 2023, replaced the legacy master-licence sub-licence system with a direct licensing model. This increased costs (USD $17k–$35k application vs. the old few-hundred-dollar sub-licence) and extended timelines. Anjouan has benefited from this — operators who previously chose Curaçao for speed and cost now often evaluate Anjouan as a comparable or superior alternative. **Can I upgrade from Anjouan to MGA or UKGC later?** Yes, and this is a common progression. Many operators launch on an Anjouan (or Curaçao) licence, build 12–24 months of operating history, clean chargeback records, and audited financials, then apply for MGA or UKGC. The operating history significantly strengthens the premium licence application and is taken into account by the regulator's suitability assessment. --- ## Related Articles - [Curaçao Gaming Licence & Business Banking](/blog/curacao-gaming-licence-banking) - [Kahnawake Gaming Banking Guide](/blog/kahnawake-gaming-banking) - [Tobique Gaming Commission Licence: Banking Guide](/blog/tobique-gaming-licence-banking) - [Malta MGA vs Curaçao Gaming Licence: Banking Comparison](/blog/mga-vs-curacao-banking) - [Best EMIs for High-Risk Businesses](/blog/best-emis-for-high-risk-businesses) - [Best Offshore Banks for High-Risk Businesses](/blog/best-offshore-banks-high-risk) - [iGaming Business Bank Account: The Complete Guide](/blog/igaming-business-bank-account) --- GetBanked works with operators licensed under Anjouan, Curaçao, Kahnawake, Tobique, Malta MGA, Gibraltar, Isle of Man, and UKGC frameworks — and supports operators through licence upgrades as their business scales. - [Get Free Pre-Approval](/pre-approval) - [View Our Services](/services) - [Industries We Serve](/industries) - [Contact Our Team](/contact) --- Source: https://www.getbanked.co/blog/anjouan-gaming-licence-banking