Holding a license is crucial for online casino owners. Without registration, your activity is illegal, and you can get in serious trouble with the law. The iGaming license gives an opportunity to increase audience confidence level, open bank accounts and make transactions, and buy official games for the platform.
What country to choose to register a business in? It always depends on your opportunities and preferences. Nonetheless, we recommend paying attention to Antigua and Barbuda. Getting an Antigua gambling license is a great way to start a legal project with an impeccable reputation. The trustworthiness of the gambling license of Antigua is backed by the status of the UK. Thanks to its place in Britain’s White Label list, Antigua gambling licenses allow operators to attract customers from the United Kingdom. Let’s go into details.
Online Gaming Regulations in Antigua
The main gambling body in Antigua is the FSRC commission (Financial Services Regulatory Commission’s Division of Gambling).
The country started to legalize iGaming businesses in 1994. At the beginning, almost anyone could get an Antigua gaming license thanks to the weak requirements for applicants. Currently, getting an Antigua gambling license takes a lot of effort. In particular, the iGaming business owner is obliged to prove his non-conviction, financial solvency and origin of funds, as well as provide a clear business plan, company structure, and information about the platform (content, quality and safety of software). Also, operators should register the company in the jurisdiction, open a physical office and bank accounts and pay state fees.
There is a division into two common types of licenses in Antigua: interactive gaming (online casinos, slot machines, roulettes, poker, lotteries, etc.) and interactive wagering (bookmakers).
What about a license-issuing period? Usually, applicants don’t wait longer than 3 weeks.
Type of gambling licenses
Let’s consider the types of Antigua and Barbuda gambling licenses in detail.
Gaming licenses give permissions to online activities based on random number generator mechanisms. The FSRC always pays special attention to checking the correctness of the RNG work.
- Casino licenses legalize casino businesses. It is mandatory to place this document on the website to make it available for every player. The FSRC monitors this very carefully so that dubious casinos do not tarnish the status of the entire jurisdiction.
- When applying for a slots machine license it’s necessary to attach certificates from providers of all games on the platform. After getting permission, operators should ensure the security and transparency of transactions.
- To legalize the lottery in Antigua operators need to get a special lottery license.
- Antigua and Barbuda bingo gambling license is one more gaming license type. All attempts to organize an illegal bingo platform will lead to criminal prosecution.
A wagering license covers all types of bookmaking. Here the winner is not chosen in a random manner, instead, players make bets on predictable, but not predetermined events.
- Bookmaking license is absolutely another type of license. It gives an opportunity to organize only a wagering business.
Process of obtaining a license
To legalize a business, each operator must do the following:
- To register a company in the Antigua.
- To open a physical office in Antigua and to form a minimum staff. Usually, it is one resident employee, director and secretary. By the way, the main company staff can be located wherever in the world, not necessarily in Antigua. But it’s mandatory to hire a local director.
- To create and show a detailed business plan.
- To prove the availability of enough funds and the origin of money. There are no clear requirements for the amount of the authorized capital.
- To open a business bank account and a merchant account for getting payments from gamers.
- To locate the main server in the country. At the same time, other ones can be located wherever.
- To submit an application.
- To pay state fees for the company formation and for the new license.
Gaming License Requirements
- It’s mandatory to restrict the access to your website to clients younger than 18.
- Operators must check users’ identity and data.
- On each platform, there should be info about gaming addictions and contacts of the places where addicts can get help.
- Operators should prove the quality and safety of all software, which are used on their platform.
- Don’t forget to collect and send to the gaming commission copies of passports of all employees, shareholders, and directors. It’s also necessary to provide detailed data about those shareholders who own more than 5% of shares.
Antigua and Barbuda Gambling License cost and taxes
What about the cost of obtaining a gambling license in Antigua and Barbuda? All obligatory fees and taxes are in the table below.
| Before you get the license | |
| One-time fee for the investigation | 15 000$ |
| One-time non-refundable payment | 10 000$ |
| One-time payment for getting the document | 100 000$ |
| One-time payment for getting the bookmaking license | 75 000$ |
| Mandatory regular payments | |
| Annual contribution to the development of the industry (fixed charge) | 100 000$ |
| Annual renewal fee | 5 000$ |
The activity of international operators is tax-free.
How long does an online gaming license acquisition take?
The time of obtaining a license depends on the amount of necessary checks. Usually, it takes 3 weeks to get the license. Also, don’t forget about the time for registering the company. This process also usually takes 3 weeks.
Advantages and disadvantages
Pros:
- Tax-free for international applicants.
- No strict requirements for the amount of the authorized capital.
- An opportunity to place servers wherever (just the main one should be in Antigua).
- Company stuff can work from everywhere.
- The Antigua license is included in the British White Label list. It allows operators to get bets from customers from the UK.
- Numerous agreements make easier integration with operators from other offshore zones.
- You don’t need to spend money on additional financial services because there are no unpredictable payments.
- Last, but not least: the Antigua license has a flawless reputation. It will influence the status of your platform too.
Cons:
- Local license is not cheap.
- There are a lot of acts in the local gambling legislation, and it’s mandatory to follow all of them.
- You can’t get one license for all gambling activities.
