Obtaining a casino license in 2024
Obtaining a license is a mandatory procedure for opening an online casino or betting office. Some operators refuse licensing because of the expected complexity and costliness of the process. However, as practice shows, the costs are fully recouped in the short term.
Legal operation of a casino or betting office is not the only benefit of obtaining an official license. The authorization certificate also increases visitors’ trust in your site, allows you to use many international financial instruments, as well as cooperate with top gambling software developers.
With OpenCasino you can quickly and easily obtain any of the licenses listed below. Our specialists will help you to choose the most suitable license for your type of business and will assist you at all stages of iGaming-business legalization.
From this article you will learn about the features and advantages of obtaining a gambling license in different countries. Information about all the services of OpenCasino will be provided. You will also learn about the reasons why it is necessary to license gambling and betting sites.
Why you need a casino license
Before obtaining a license, the owner of an online casino should decide for himself how beneficial this step will be for him — paying license fees, tax deductions and red tape can be a serious obstacle to opening and running a business. New operators often find this procedure at the beginning of their journey an inhibiting factor.
However, it should be clear that a good business must have long-term prospects, and without a license it is simply impossible. Illegal casinos have much more disadvantages than advantages, and such sites have no prospects and ways of scaling up. That is why more and more iGaming operators are thinking about licensing.
The casino will be able to work with the most popular and reliable financial institutions only if it has a license. During the licensing process, the operator undergoes various checks, and the permit is issued only to applicants who are transparent and clean before the law. Therefore, banks and payment systems will be able not to worry about the fact that transactions passing through them will be criminalized.
Few people would want to play in a casino with a meager selection of gambling entertainment from unknown operators with questionable RTP. And this is the fate awaits unlicensed sites. World-renowned providers provide their products only online casinos with a license. Some operators cooperate only with those sites that have a license from the same regulator that they have.
A license is a guarantee that your business is conducted legally and you are not breaking the law. Illegal casino sites are regularly blocked by internet providers and cannot be accessed. In addition, depending on the country where illegal activities are conducted, lawbreakers can be punished with huge fines, confiscation of assets and even imprisonment.
Only licensed casinos can attract new customers and retain old players. After all, only such sites can legally advertise their site (of course, not in all countries, but still).
New players are much more willing to sign up at a casino with a license, because this document is a guarantee of the integrity of the gaming process and safety of funds. What’s good in large bonuses and numerous freespins, if the money can not be withdrawn! More and more players are beginning to understand the importance of the license, and choose only legal casinos.
Of course, license fees and taxes can discourage new operators, but only a license will allow your business to grow smoothly and bring in more profits.
Best licenses for casinos in 2024
Some countries require casinos to obtain a local license. There are countries that issue an international license. Beginning operators often choose the following licenses:
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan is not the most famous country among gamblers as a licensing regulator. However, from the beginning of 2025 the situation will change, and it is the Republic of Uzbekistan that may become one of the main countries for issuing licenses. According to the decree of the president of this country, iGaming will acquire legal status.
The following features should be considered when selecting this license:
- A small tax of 4% is only paid on betting turnover, ie winnings and returned bets are deducted from income tax.
- Players of casinos licensed in Uzbekistan do not have to pay tax on winnings.
- It will be possible to obtain a gambling license from January 1, 2025 at the National Agency for Advanced Projects.
- All adult users are allowed to play, regardless of citizenship.
Thus, casinos licensed in Uzbekistan will be able to accept not only local residents, but also foreign citizens.
Given the low tax rate and the possibility of accepting foreign players, Uzbekistan may become one of the world’s licensing centers, on a par with the Philippines and Curacao.
Anjouan
Due to the licensing reforms in Curaçao, Anjouan has become an excellent solution for iGaming venues to obtain a license from 2024.
At the moment, the conditions of operation under the Curaçao license have not changed yet, but reforms are expected soon. The changes should affect the entire licensing system. The government of Curaçao will control the whole process of authorization independently. As a result of the changes, the procedure for obtaining a license should become significantly more complicated. Therefore, now many new operators are thinking about applying to the regulator of the island of Anjouan.
Anjouan license is issued to operators from any country in the world. With the release of the law on gambling licensing in 2005, Anjouan has the right to officially license gambling sites. Since the adoption of the law, this country offers quite favorable licensing conditions – a simple and fast process of obtaining permission, small fees.
Anjuan license covers all types of iGaming business. Thus, having obtained this license, the operator will be able to offer on its site any types of gambling products: slots, online games, poker, sports betting and so on. This license has a geographically wide scope – it covers the whole world, except for a few countries (France, Spain, England, USA, Australia, Austria).
An important advantage of the Anjouan license is the fact that the operator does not have to pay tax on gross gaming revenue. The license is valid for one year and must be renewed at the end of that period. It takes between 4 and 6 weeks to obtain a license.
To obtain an Anjouan license it is necessary to submit a business plan, confirm the absence of a criminal record of the business owner, obtain RNG certificates for games, comply with anti-money laundering requirements, and have a domain and website that meet the requirements. It is also required that the servers are geographically located in Anjouan.
Curaçao
For many years, the Curaçao license has been the best choice for betting offices and casinos operating online. However, major changes in the licensing process of this country are expected soon.
The current licensing system is still in place for now for authorized sites, but this could change at any time. It is expected that the reforms will be adopted in September 2025. The Curaçao Gambling Authority will start acting as the regulator. The Authority will act on the basis of regulations with updated tax collection conditions.
An important requirement of the renewed license is to have a director with three permanent employees based in Curaçao. Operators will have to be checked for money laundering. The annual license fee will be about 62,500 euros.
It is worth noting that the licensing system in Curaçao is unstable and fluid. Therefore, the current and expected regulations may be edited. It is possible that the conditions for obtaining a license and collecting fees will not be as strict.
The Curaçao license looks quite attractive against other licenses due to the very low tax percentage. You will only have to pay 2% tax on your net profit.
Malta
Casinos that have a Maltese license are highly trusted by players. Therefore, many operators seek licensing in Malta. However, due to complex bureaucratic processes, high fees and the need to obtain a separate license for each type of activity, not all casinos can get this license.
Malta has been issuing online gambling licenses since 2004. Licensing is handled by a special Lotteries and Gaming Authority. The Commission issues several types of B2C and B2B licenses. B2C licenses are divided into four more subtypes:
- Class 1 — games whose outcome depends on a random number generator.
- Class 2 — games with the result depending on the outcome of a certain event (bookmaker’s offices).
- Class 3 — games with income generated from the commission of the site. For example, it can be poker, where the room removes rake from the bets made.
- Class 4 — games in which the result depends on the ability to use statistics, i.e. games of skill. These include fantasy sports.
As of 2018, there is a new law in place whereby when opening another gambling destination, operators do not need to apply for a separate license. A new type of games is simply added. The license is valid for 10 years (instead of 5 years previously).
Malta offers favorable licensing conditions for small companies. If a startup has been operating for less than 5 years and generates revenues of up to €10 million per year, such operator is exempted from paying fees for the period of the first year.
The Malta license is internationally recognized. Even in many countries where you will not be able to advertise your site with other licenses, the MGA gives you the right to do so. For example, the UK Gambling Commission allows you to advertise gambling sites to UK users. So in terms of attracting new customers Malta license is the best choice.
Mann
Mann license is the most reputable and sought-after. Casinos with this license are definitely trusted by all players. But due to the fact that the licensing process may seem quite complicated and lengthy, not all online venues apply to this regulator.
The organization responsible for gambling issues has been operating in the Isle of Man since 1962. With the emergence of the online branch, the Online Gambling Regulation Commission, which has been operating since 2001, became responsible for issuing licenses. Over time, the regulator has tightened the requirements for gambling licenses. However, the difficulties with the issuance of the permit testify to the high reputation of the casino, which still managed to seize a Mann license.
The regulator serves all types of gambling activities, and issues licenses for operation in B2C and B2B spheres. The authorization document is valid for five years. The license can be revoked at any time during this period if the operator violates the requirements.
There are several types of licenses issued in the Isle of Man. Which one to choose depends on your business objectives. There are main license, sub-license, network license, B2B software license.
The Isle of Man has created an ideal environment for businesses of all levels. You will be consulted on any issues relating to banking, administration, investment, marketing and so on. Loans, business grants, business financing and much more are possible with the Isle of Man regulator.
The tax for this license is one of the lowest on the market, ranging from 0.1 to 1.5% of gross income. There is no corporate or capital gains tax. This license is whitelisted in most countries, including the UK.
The main disadvantage of licensing in the Isle of Man is the cost. The annual fees for the main license exceed 36 thousand euros. To process an application for a license you have to pay 5,250 euros.
Services
OpenCasino is ready to provide you with comprehensive assistance in obtaining any of the above licenses. In particular, our specialists will provide the following services:
- Advise you on choosing the most appropriate license for your business.
- Help you gather and prepare all the necessary documents.
- Full support of the client at each stage of obtaining a license.
