About the Anjouan Gaming Board
The Anjouan gaming licence is issued by the Anjouan Gaming Board (AGB) under the Anjouan Offshore Finance Authority (AOFA), with the Computer Gaming Licensing Act 007 of 2005 as the legal basis. We classify it as a tier-three offshore regulator under the licensing trust framework — a recognised regime with materially weaker player protections than tier-one licences and a documented player-complaint surge that warrants caution.
Anjouan is an autonomous island within the Union of the Comoros, an Indian Ocean archipelago. The regulator partners with Anjouan Licensing Services Inc. as sole administrator, supplemented by the Money Laundering (Prevention) Act 008 of 2005 for AML/CFT.
The framework’s prominence rose after Curaçao’s 2024 LOK reform pushed operators elsewhere. By late 2025 over a thousand active Anjouan licences had been issued, and a modernisation programme introduced a B2B Recognition Certificate scheme in July 2025 and FATF crypto Travel Rule alignment in 2025-2026.
The same period surfaced concerns. Casino.guru’s complaint tracker recorded a 90% surge in unresolved player complaints against Anjouan-licensed operators in 2024, and investigative reporting in late 2025 highlighted gaps between licensing claims and Comoros central government recognition of some licensing entities.
How Anjouan Licensing Works
Anjouan uses a single all-inclusive B2C licence covering every gambling vertical under one permit — casino, slots, live dealer, sports betting, esports, poker, bingo, lottery, and crypto wagering. There is no Type 1/2/3/4 split as Malta uses. Operators supplying software to Anjouan licensees need a separate B2B Recognition Certificate.
Licences run on a one-year renewal cycle, and processing times are among the fastest in the offshore market — typically four to six weeks against Curaçao’s two to three months. Fees scale by licence type and the total cost of entry is substantially lower than Curaçao’s post-LOK regime.
The 2025-2026 modernisation introduced FATF crypto Travel Rule alignment plus mandatory B2B Recognition Certificate for software, platform, and payment suppliers from July 2025. These reforms move the framework toward stricter supply-chain compliance.
The licence excludes operator service to players in Australia, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, the UK, the US, the Comoros host territory, and FATF blacklisted countries. An operator accepting registrations from those audiences is violating its own licence terms.
Player Protection Under Anjouan
The protection gaps relative to tier-one regulators are material. Anjouan does not mandate segregated player funds, which means operator failure can put player balances at risk in ways the Isle of Man’s 100% protection regime would prevent.
There is no approved-ADR-provider triad equivalent to UKGC’s IBAS/ProMediate/Lindens model. Disputes are handled directly by the Anjouan Gaming Board, and integration with the UK’s GAMSTOP self-exclusion register is not part of the framework. A responsible gaming code requires operators to offer self-exclusion and time-out tools, but enforcement is lighter than tier-one regimes.
The complaint-resolution record matters. Casino.guru’s tracker recorded a 90% year-on-year rise in unresolved complaints against Anjouan-licensed operators in 2024, reaching 148 cases spanning blocked accounts, delayed payments, and self-exclusion failures. The 2025-2026 modernisation adds AML/CFT depth but has not yet been demonstrated to close the player-protection gap.
AML compliance runs through nominated officers, KYC customer due diligence, and anti-fraud controls under MLP Act 008 of 2005, with suspicious activity reports filed to the Anjouan Financial Intelligence Unit. Game fairness is certified by approved external testing organisations under social responsibility codes. Cryptocurrency and blockchain wagering have been permitted since the framework’s earliest iterations and remain defining features, with transparency strengthened through the 2025-2026 FATF Travel Rule alignment.
Anjouan vs Other Licenses
Anjouan’s most direct comparison is post-LOK Curaçao licence. Many operators migrated from Curaçao to Anjouan after the December 2024 LOK reform — BC.Game’s December 5 2024 licence surrender was the highest-profile example, and roughly 900 operators left Curaçao over the following months. Curaçao now mandates binding Alternative Dispute Resolution and audited compliance, while Anjouan offers faster, cheaper licensing with less formal recourse.
Against Isle of Man’s pioneer regulator, the gap widens. Isle of Man requires 100% mandatory segregated player funds with quarterly verification across four approved mechanisms; Anjouan has no equivalent. Isle of Man’s selective fit-and-proper review concentrates established operators; Anjouan’s faster issuance accepts a broader operator pool.
Anjouan’s licence terms exclude service to UK, US, Australian, and major EU players — so any cross-comparison with UKGC, MGA, or Gibraltar tier-one frameworks reflects a regulatory boundary that operators should not cross. An Anjouan licensee accepting players from excluded jurisdictions is acting outside its licence.
How to Verify an Anjouan License
Verifying an Anjouan gambling licence is harder than verifying tier-one licences. Multiple competing “official” register domains exist — anjouanlicense.io, gamingcontrolanjouan.org, and anjouangaming.com all claim AOFA authority — and verification infrastructure has shown reliability gaps in past audits. Casino.guru’s 90% rise in unresolved complaints against Anjouan-licensed operators in 2024 makes the player’s own due diligence more important here than with tier-one regulators.
- Locate the AGB licence number and licensed company name in the casino footer.
- Cross-check the licence on at least two of the competing register sources, since no single domain is authoritative.
- Review the operator’s complaint history on Casino.guru’s tracker and confirm the casino does not target excluded jurisdictions (UK, US, Australia, major EU) — see an Anjouan-licensed operator example of an operator that transitioned from Curaçao to Anjouan in 2023.
Warning signs include claims of “Anjouan licensed” without a licence number, register entries returning 404 errors, conflicting status across the competing domains, and operators marketing into excluded jurisdictions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is an Anjouan gambling licence legitimate?
How does Anjouan compare to Curaçao or other tier-three frameworks?
Why are casinos like BC.Game and Stake licensed in Anjouan?
What happens if an Anjouan-licensed casino refuses to pay my winnings?
How do I verify an Anjouan gambling licence is real?
Final Take
Best for crypto-native players comfortable with offshore tier-three frameworks and aware of the player-protection gap relative to UKGC or Isle of Man. The 2025-2026 modernisation is a positive signal, and Curaçao-exodus operator-density brings recognisable brands.
Consider another framework if you are a UK, US, Australian, or major-EU resident — the licence excludes service to you. Players wanting mandatory segregated funds should choose Isle of Man or UKGC. The 2024 complaint surge and Comoros legitimacy disputes warrant caution tier-one regimes do not require.
