iGaming

Gambling & gaming licences

An iGaming licence is less a trophy than a gating item. The regime you can actually bank, staff and afford should drive the choice, not the lowest headline fee or the most prestigious flag. The market is tightening. Curaçao's December 2024 LOK reform ended the cheap master/sub-licence model and now requires a direct regulator licence. Gibraltar, meanwhile, is moving to tiered fees, and banks and payment processors scrutinise gaming more heavily than almost any other sector. Arrive is a two-partner advisory. We coordinate the application through vetted local specialists, and we do not act for unlicensed or grey-market operators.

Last verified July 2026

What this covers

  • We map your target markets and player base to the appropriate regime, whether that is Malta (MGA), Curaçao (CGA), Isle of Man (GSC), Gibraltar or a lower-cost flag, weighing licence cost, credibility and, above all, banking access.
  • We coordinate the application end to end through vetted local gaming counsel and licensed corporate-service providers in the chosen jurisdiction. We arrange. We do not ourselves issue legal or regulatory opinions.
  • We structure the licensed entity, paid-up share capital and local substance, including resident directors, key-function holders and hosting, to meet the regulator's specific requirements.
  • We assemble the due-diligence and fit-and-proper pack. This means UBO disclosure, source-of-funds evidence, a business plan, and AML/CFT, KYC and responsible-gambling policy sets.
  • We arrange independent technical certification of RNG and games, plus a platform system audit, through accredited test houses. Most regimes require this before go-live, or shortly after.
  • We introduce gaming-friendly banking and payment-processing partners alongside the licence work. This step, more than any other, tends to decide whether a launch actually goes live.
  • We coordinate the obligations that continue after grant. That means annual returns, revenue-based compliance contributions, MLRO reporting, technical re-audits and licence renewals.

Scope & conditions

Malta — MGA (B2C, Types 1–4)
EU/EEA credibility. Application fee €5,000; minimum share capital €100,000 (Type 1/2) or €40,000 (Type 3/4), cumulative cap €240,000; fixed annual licence fee €25,000; revenue-based compliance contribution (e.g. Type 1 €15,000–€375,000); 5-year licence; 5% gaming tax on Maltese-player GGR. As of 2026 — confirm current.
Curaçao — CGA under the LOK
December 2024 LOK reform abolished the master/sub-licence model; all operators now need a direct CGA licence. Application ~€4,592; annual B2C fee ~€47,450 (licence + supervisory). Local key-person substance being enforced from 1 April 2027. Cheaper than Malta, but the low-cost era has ended. As of 2026 — confirm current.
Isle of Man — GSC
Tier-1 reputation, lower cost than Gibraltar. Application ~£5,250; annual full licence ~£36,750; requires an Isle of Man company with at least two resident directors, segregated player funds and an appointed MLRO. As of 2026 — confirm current.
Gibraltar — GGC
Established B2C hub. Application £10,000; annual B2C fee ~£75,000 under the current flat model (a tiered fee reform is in consultation); gaming duty 0.15% of GGR capped at £425,000/year. Requires a Gibraltar company, local key staff and servers, and an economic contribution. As of 2026 — confirm current.
Lower-cost flags — Anjouan, Tobique, Kahnawake
Fast and cheap: Anjouan ~€18,000/year at 0% GGR tax; Tobique ~€18,000–€36,000/year; Kahnawake ~US$40,000–60,000. Weaker international recognition, contested legal standing (Anjouan, Tobique) and materially harder banking. As of 2026 — confirm current.
Cross-cutting compliance
Every regime requires AML/CFT with an appointed MLRO, KYC/CDD and sanctions screening, segregation of player funds, responsible-gambling tools (self-exclusion, deposit limits, reality checks), and independent RNG/game certification by an accredited test house.

How it works

  • We act only for lawful, regulated operators. We do not assist unlicensed operations, and we do not work with operators who deliberately target players in jurisdictions where the activity is prohibited or requires a local licence they do not hold.
  • Ultimate beneficial owners must be identified and must pass the regulator's fit-and-proper and source-of-funds tests. A poor track record or opaque ownership will stop most tier-1 applications before they get far.
  • You need to be willing to build genuine local substance. That means a licensed company, resident directors or key-function holders, and compliant hosting. A nameplate will not do.
  • Independent technical certification of the RNG and games, along with a platform system audit, is a prerequisite for most licences, or a condition attached to them. Budget for it from the outset.
  • You need a realistic budget and a timeline of 3–6+ months. Banking and payment processing should be pursued in parallel from the start, not assumed to fall into place.
  • Pricing for our own coordination is quoted only after scoping. The regulator and registry fees shown here are public figures. They are dated and must be confirmed as current.
What can go wrong
  • Regimes are tightening, not loosening. Curacao's LOK reform ended the cheap master/sub-licence era. Gibraltar is moving to tiered fees. Substance and AML expectations are rising across the board.
  • A licence does not guarantee banking. Payment processors and banks scrutinise gaming more heavily than almost any other sector. The licence is often the easy part. The merchant account is the hard one.
  • The lowest-cost flags carry real trade-offs. Anjouan and Tobique are inexpensive and fast, but they come with limited international recognition, contested legal standing and materially higher banking and payment-processing friction.
  • Figures move. Application fees, annual fees, compliance contributions and gaming taxes change frequently and are quoted here as of 2026. Every number must be confirmed against the regulator before you rely on it.
  • One licence is not global permission. It authorises specific markets. Large regulated markets, including the UK, Germany, much of the US and the EU, require their own local licences, and prohibited markets must be geoblocked.

Frequently asked

Which gambling licence is cheapest, and which is best?

They are rarely the same. The lowest entry cost sits with flags such as Anjouan (~€18,000/year, 0% GGR tax) and Tobique (~€18,000–€36,000/year), but these carry weak recognition and difficult banking. Malta (MGA) and the Isle of Man cost far more and demand real substance. In return, they deliver EU or tier-1 credibility and smoother payment relationships. The best choice is whichever your target markets, banking and budget can actually sustain. That is a question we scope before recommending a regime. Figures as of 2026, confirm current.

How long does it take to get an iGaming licence?

For a tier-1 regime such as Malta, plan for roughly 3–6+ months. There is due diligence and fit-and-proper review, then compliance assessment, then a systems audit before full grant. Low-cost flags can issue in a matter of weeks. In practice, the binding constraint is usually not the licence itself but banking and payment processing. Those should be pursued in parallel, and they can take just as long.

Is a Curaçao licence still worth it after the LOK reform?

It can be, but the calculus has changed. The National Ordinance on Games of Chance (LOK), effective 24 December 2024, abolished the master/sub-licence system. Every operator now needs a direct licence from the Curaçao Gaming Authority, with published fees (application ~€4,592, annual B2C ~€47,450), UBO investigation, AML/CFT obligations and local key-person substance enforced from 1 April 2027. It remains cheaper than Malta, but the era of a few-thousand-dollar sub-licence is over. Figures are as of 2026. Confirm they are still current.

Can I operate worldwide on a single licence?

No. A gambling licence authorises specific markets, not the whole world. Many large jurisdictions, including the UK, Germany, most US states and several EU members, require their own local licence. Markets where online gambling is prohibited must be geoblocked. Operating into a market that requires a local licence you do not hold is unlawful, regardless of what flag you hold, and it is something we will not help arrange.

Do I need a local company, staff and servers?

For the tier-1 regimes, yes. The Isle of Man requires a locally incorporated company with at least two resident directors. Gibraltar requires a local company, key staff and servers, plus an economic contribution. Malta requires local key-function holders and compliant hosting. Curaçao is phasing in resident key-person requirements too. A nameplate presence will not survive the fit-and-proper review.

What does a gambling licence not give me?

It does not give you a bank account or a payment processor. Those are separate, heavily scrutinised relationships, and they often determine whether you launch at all. It does not grant access to regulated markets such as the UK, Germany or the US without their own licences. And it does not substitute for ongoing compliance. AML monitoring, MLRO reporting, revenue-based contributions, technical re-audits and renewals all continue for the life of the operation.

Need gambling & gaming licences done properly?

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