Anjouan Gaming, a Rising Crypto Casino Regulator

For years now, almost a decade, Curacao has been the home of hundreds of crypto gaming/betting operators. One of the country’s four master license holders, Antillephone, according to some records, is the first regulator to license online casinos that accept digital coins. The reason many chose this tiny nation as the base for their operations is that its four licensors have laxer rules, and they had to pay no taxes on income accumulated from non-Curacao regulators.

However, in recent times, this Dutch-Caribbean Island seems to be undergoing various licensing procedural changes, and its four regulators are implementing somewhat more stringent measures than they did years before, with more imminent increases in requirements looming. The problem here lies in that Curacao accepted financial aid from the Netherlands during the COVID crisis under the caveat that the country reform its gambling industry and abolish its old practices, possibly introducing a new regulator. Hence, many online gambling companies have looked into moving their operations elsewhere. Unfortunately, the number of options has always been pretty limited. That said, now the Comoros Islands have added new players to the field of Internet gaming regulators.

In our Sportbet.one casino review, we mentioned the Mwali International Services Authority. But in many experts’ eyes, the body that may make sizeable waves in the crypto section of the gaming industry may be Anjoun Gaming.

Anjoun is a small autonomous volcanic island nation in the southwestern Indian Ocean. It seeks to capitalize on Curacao losing its appeal by offering a low-price license that features one fee-covers-all model. And that gets explored in the subheadings that follow.

A Quick Look at The Anjouan Gaming Authority

Headquartered in Mutsamudu, the second-biggest Comoros city, the capital of Anjouan, boasting a population of 25,000, Anjouan Gaming was founded, from what we can tell, in 2021. The country passed its Betting and Gaming Act in 2005, establishing the ABGB (the Anjouan Betting and Gaming Board). Nevertheless, Anjouan Gaming, the online regulator in its modern form, popped up two years ago, and it attained more attention in 2023.

One of the main factors why so many gambling businesses are turning their focus to this organization is that its application process can be completed within a month. In some cases, this license can be attained in less than a week. Moreover, the cost structure it offers is super cost-effective, and it has less complex documentation requirements and compliance checks. And like Curacao’s regulators, one Anjouan Gaming license can cover pretty much all gambling-related services that online operators offer these days. Interested parties can apply for this license online via a quick and easy process.

It is vital to note that The Anjouan Offshore Financial Authority administrates all processes related to Anjouan online gambling, including administrating and issuing licenses under the Anjouan Gaming banner on behalf of the Anjouan Offshore Finance Authority. The latter makes no bones that it allows businesses to deliver such services to international clients from Anjouan as a tool to boost economic growth on the island by attracting foreign investments. In truth, that is why Malta, Curacao, Panama, and all other smaller countries that have legalized online gambling do this.

Is Anjouan a Safe Nation for Online Gaming Businesses?

For a long time, this nation had a reputation as a region famous for its offshore financial services. In general, the country also has a rep for being a relatively safe and calm territory for tourists. However, it must be said that it can see convulsing political strikes from time to time. Multiple coups have occurred here, including a 2008 notable invasion, which was an amphibious assault that featured troops from Senegal, Tanzania, and Sudan, with support from France and Libya, aimed to topple Mohamed Bacar’s leadership.

It is worthy to cite that Anjouan takes up the 167th spot on the Corruption Perceptions Index from a list of one hundred and eighty nations, as it has had a history of restrictions regarding freedom of the press and free speech. But, according to most, it has a pretty liberalized economy with an efficient financial infrastructure. And like Curacao, operators running the gaming business from Anjouan are not liable to pay taxes on their accrued revenues. We should also highlight that Anjouan is a member of the WTO or World Trade Organization. That permits its governments to bring forward, enforce, and revise international trade rules that let companies accept gamblers from all over the globe, meaning this license gets recognized worldwide.

How Does Anjouan Stack Up to Curacao?

What is interesting is that Anjouan Gaming advertises itself as a solution for Curacao operators, an alternative that Curacao-based companies can use as a choice that will help them mitigate the risk of potential and proposed licensing/regulatory changes in the Dutch Caribbean.

While the Anjouan Gaming website is pretty bare, featuring no licensing fees, from talking to our insiders and consulting various gaming-related legal sources, its seal of approval costs less than one from Curacao’s four master license holders. One person told us that the application fee here is €1,000. Plus, they mentioned that there is an initial-year administration charge of €1,500. Be aware. We could not verify these figures 100%, but we believe they are accurate. A gaming entity’s share capital should total at least €250,000 to apply, and it must have a registered physical office in Anjouan with local staff. A yearly supervision fee of €13,000 may also be in play, with our source claiming that an annual license should come to around €17,500. The cool thing about this country is that one can set up a company in it in less than a day, but such a legal entity cannot own any immovable property here.

As mentioned, the application and approval period in Anjouan is also shorter, and the documentation required does not necessitate the inclusion of detailed financial statements, the likes that more stringent regulators ask for. It also should have a more streamlined procedure, but one where RNG certificates, a KYC policy, and RTP (Real-Time Transport Protocol) agreements are necessary. The Anjouan Offshore Finance Authority issues various licensing solutions for several spheres, including Forex, banking, insurance, and, most importantly, for our article – crypto.

What Do We Think of the Anjouan Gaming License?

In all honesty, we do not think we have ever looked at a gambling site with an Anjouan license. Based on our short research, we found three platforms that carry this regulator’s badge, and all three do not have tremendously positive user reviews. Slotland Entertainment S.A. runs two of these hubs. That is the operator that owns the CryptoSlots brand, which does not have an Anjouan Gaming license.

So, sadly, we cannot give you a trustworthy opinion of this organization. Most of the press it is getting stems from the fact that it is a cheap alternative, making it the regulator of choice in the scenario of an impending Curacao exodus. We must wait and see how things will develop, and as more Anjouan-based sites appear, we will try to review a few and interview some of their management team members and players to give you the lowdown on how this regulator functions and how much it takes care of gamblers. Until then, we will just have to keep our eyes open.

Relevant news