The licence types operators actually weigh against each other — cost, timeline and what each regulator demands. Figures are indicative and dated; always confirm against the authority's current schedule.
| Licence | Authority | Application | Annual | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curaçao LOK B2C Licence | CGA | €4,592 application (non-refundable) | €47,450 B2C total (€24,490 National Treasury + €22,960 CGA supervision); domains ANG 500/yr | Target ~8 weeks (extendable in 4-week phases) |
| MGA B2C Gaming Service Licence | MGA | €5,000 (non-refundable) | €25,000 fixed + compliance contribution tiered by GGR | 4–6 months |
| UKGC Remote Casino Operating Licence | UKGC | Scales with projected Gross Gambling Yield band | Scales with GGY band | ≈ 16 weeks |
| Gibraltar B2C Gambling Licence | GGD | £10,000 per licence type (application) | Tiered by GGY per vertical: £50k (≤£20m) / £100k (£20–300m) / £200k (>£300m) | Selective — by invitation/track record; several months |
| Anjouan eGaming Licence | anjouan-egaming | ≈ US$10,000–25,000 all-in (indicative, varies by agent) | Included in package pricing via authorized agents | 2–6 weeks |
The successor to the famous master/sub-licence system: since the LOK, all licences are issued directly by the state. The cheapest widely-recognized route to a multi-market offshore operation, at the cost of limited market access in regulated countries.
Key requirementsThe benchmark EU licence: one licence covering game types 1–4 (casino, fixed-odds betting, P2P poker/betting exchanges, skill games). 5% gaming tax applies only to revenue from players located in Malta.
Key requirementsThe strictest mainstream licence and the only legal route to the British market. Compliance load (affordability, safer-gambling interactions, levy) is the highest of any licence in this registry.
Key requirementsNot an entry-level licence: Gibraltar admits a small set of substantial operators. The Gambling Act 2025 (in force October 1, 2025) replaced the flat £100k fee with GGY-tiered fees and split licensing into B2C, B2B and Support Services categories.
Key requirementsThe budget offshore licence (Union of the Comoros) that absorbed much of the demand displaced by Curaçao's LOK reform. Fast and cheap, but with minimal supervisory weight — listed here for completeness of the comparison table.
Key requirementsThe licence decision is a market-access decision wearing a paperwork costume. Point-of-consumption regimes leave no choice: serving British customers means holding a UKGC licence, full stop — the same logic applies in Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands and Ontario. The real choice sits in the unregulated remainder, where Curaçao's reformed LOK licence remains the default and Anjouan absorbs the most price-sensitive demand. Gibraltar plays a different game entirely: a selective club of substantial operators trading higher fees for a near-zero gaming duty and a first-rank reputation.
Costs move accordingly. Cheap licences carry expensive limitations — no access to licensed markets, weaker banking relationships, thinner player trust — while expensive ones amortize across the market access they unlock. The comparison table above states the fees; the country profiles state which markets each licence actually opens.