Gaming licenses jurisdictions comparison
There are about fifty countries and territories all over the world that are now authorizing online gambling operations to be run from their jurisdictions. If you are seriously interested in starting your own profitable gaming company, then you should compare gaming license conditions and stipulations, because they can have a big impact on your initial costs and the final bottom-line profit margin.
Speak with us here at GBO about obtaining online gaming licenses
In the table below, we have picked out the most attractive countries and territories from which online gaming services can be sold and we compare gaming license costs, terms and conditions:
| Country | Gaming License Comparison |
| Curacao | Only sub-licenses are available from holders of a Master license. One license covers all types of casino games – slots, poker and other games of chance. |
| License fee is negotiable – let GBO get you the best deal! | |
| Zero GGR. | |
| Malta | Malta gaming license Issued by the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), for a period of 10 years. |
| Provides for slots, poker, roulettes, lotteries, etc. | |
| You must declare which types of games the license is issued for your company registered in Malta. | |
| License costs €25k, plus minimum paid-up capital €100k | |
| 5% GGR | |
| UK | Issued by United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC). |
| Regardless of where you are based in the world, you need a licence from UKGC if you are providing facilities for gambling to consumers in Great Britain online (or through any other means of remote communication) or any part of your remote gambling equipment is based in Great Britain. | |
| Requires 3 separate licenses: | |
| Remote betting host real events licence – AKA SportsBetting | |
| Application Fees £2,200 – £19,333 based on turnover | |
| Annual license £2,556 – £471,142 based on turnover | |
| Remote betting host virtual events licence | |
| Application Fees £1,980 – £42,978 based on turnover | |
| Annual license £2,027 – £389,652 based on turnover | |
| Remote betting intermediary operating licence | |
| Application Fees £5,711 – £25,777 based on turnover | |
| Annual license £3,408 – £694,856 based on turnover | |
| Tax is 21% GGR | |
| Kahnawake | Kahnawake Gaming License issued by Kahnawake Gaming Commission – authority for gaming activity within and from the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake, CA. |
| Application fee US$40K includes first year license. A temporary permit is granted, subject to granting of license (which takes 1 year), plus $5K per nominated Key Person. | |
| Annual License $10K | |
| Only Mohawk Internet Technologies permitted to host the systems | |
| Zero tax | |
| Romania | License issued by the Ministry of Finance’s Gambling Commission, |
| Romania allows gambling (Internet) rooms to permit ground betting, slot machines, sweepstakes, poker, roulette, bingo, blackjack online in the Romanian market. | |
| License issued only if products and services are used from a B2B provider that has a class 2 Romanian license. Operator must install secure mirror servers in Romania. | |
| Application fee €11K | |
| License fee annually €6K – €120K based on turnover | |
| GGR 16% minimum €100K | |
| Greece | License issued by Hellenic Gaming Commission (HGC). |
| Licenses are granted for 7 years. | |
| Online sports betting license costs €3 million. Casino games license costs €2 million. | |
| No application fee | |
| Tax is 13% GGR | |
| Antigua | Issued by Financial Services Regulatory Commission’s Division of Gambling. Licenses for land-based casinos extend to online casinos, poker, roulettes, slot machines, video slots, lotteries and other kinds of gambling. |
| License fee is $100K | |
| Tax is 3% GGR |
Further details about the licenses in othert popular jurisdictions are in the following table:
| Country | Model | Gaming types | Reach | License cost | Revenue tax rate | Corporate structure |
| Alderney / Guernsey | GGR | Open | Unrestricted | B2C local company £17.5k year 1, then | min £35k on GGR to max £400k | local company / directors |
| Isle of Man | Free market | open | Unrestricted | Main license £35K per year/5 years
Sublicense Network license 50K |
1.5% up to £20m
0.5% next £20m 0.1% over £40m |
Local company + 2 local directors |
| Spain | Hybrid | no Lotto | Unrestricted | €50.5K initial + €10K / game | 25% GGR | EU company with local .es domain |
| Gibraltar | Hybrid | open | Unrestricted | £30K per gaming type | 0.15% GGR | Local company |
| Montenegro | GGR | Open | Unrestricted | €25K year 1 / 15K annual | 9% GGR | local company |
| Cyprus | Turnover tax | Open | restricted to specific sites & jurisdictions | €30K | 10% | EU company |
| Panama | Free market | open | unrestricted | $40k then $20K per year | 5.5% GGR | local company / directors |
