What the licensing procedure actually entails when launching an online casino in 2026

Work in the iGaming licensing space and decided to share what I know. Hopefully useful for anyone thinking about entering the market.

The first important decision is to define whether you are B2C or B2B. Are you providing software to other operators or going straight to players? There could be completely different licensing paths, even within the same country. If you make a mistake early, you might have to reconstruct your corporate structure later.

I would first determine which licence tier makes sense if I were starting from scratch. Players may also find it interesting to find out if their favourite online casino has a reliable legal foundation. 

Tier 1 — MGA Malta, UKGC, Isle of Man. Banks work with you, game studios give you their full catalogue, PSPs don't flinch, 6-12 months, heavy compliance. Solid ground.

Tier 2 — Curaçao, Anjouan, Gibraltar. 4-12 weeks for the offshore options, most PSPs will work with you, decent studio access. Good for launching and validating before going tier-

Tier 3 — Comoros and similar. Fastest and cheapest. Works well for specific markets and audience setups. There are plenty of operators running successfully here, just map your payment and content needs before committing.

One more thing that's worth flagging. Banks won't onboard a new operator with zero transaction history. Have those conversations in parallel with the application, not after.

The majority of operators start on tier 2 or tier 3 in order to validate and develop transaction history. Once they have actual data to present to banks and regulators, they move to tier-1.

I'd be pleased to respond to any questions regarding particular jurisdictions.

Ως gamer, δεν φανταζόμουν ποτέ ότι υπήρχαν τόσα πολλά πίσω από μια άδεια. Νόμιζα ότι η διαδικασία ήταν πολύ πιο απλή.

Yeah, the licensing infrastructure is usually invisible until something goes wrong, like a casino going under or a market getting shut down suddenly. That’s usually when players find out their money wasn’t properly protected because the operator cut corners on the compliance side.

Hello, may I have a question about Anjoan AOFA—from the players' perspective?

Well, consider it very weak, since a few of their official ADRs have already ruled against players, so we decided to oppose. They basically just sided with the casino.

However, do you perhaps have an actual list that would partner with a specific ADR provider?

https://anjouangaming.com/resources/authorized-adr-providers/

That's the most problematic part for players, and it's related to the most common situation when the casino is open but players have disputes, including unpaid money.

"All licensed operators under Anjouan Gaming are required to engage one or more Alternative Dispute Resolution ("ADR") providers approved by the Authority. These providers deliver an independent and impartial mechanism for the resolution of disputes between players and licensed operators where direct resolution has not been achieved."

Funny thing though, the operator must admit the ADR to the player at this moment. And that's where things usually go sideways. 😔

Thank you very much in advance for any tip you might have for the players.

Hi Radka, good question and an important one.

You are right that the disclosure part is where it breaks down in practice. The requirement is there, operators must engage an approved ADR and tell players about it, but whether that actually happens when a dispute arises is a different story.

It varies by operator rather than being standardised across the licence. Which is exactly the problem you’re describing.

Practical advice for players: check the casino’s terms before depositing. The ADR provider should be named there. If a dispute happens and the operator is silent, players can go directly to anjouangaming.com and file a complaint with the authority itself.

Anjouan is relatively new as a regulator and is still building its enforcement track record.

Thank you but I have to slightly disagree. As proven on the forum, players frankly are not welcomed to lodge complaints with this license provider because the casino has not provided the ADR name. Such a casino also does not have the information in the terms and conditions. The licensing authority won't respond unless "If a licensed operator is in direct breach of their license or of regulations, they can be reported directly to the authority by sending an email to [email protected]."

That's kind of a different scenario, as far as I can say. Well, let's hope the provider is going to change this approach in the future.