Anjouan Gaming Licence Explained: Is It Safe? Restrictions & Complaints
What an Anjouan gaming licence is: overseen by the Anjouan Gaming Authority under the AOFA, light-touch, with restricted countries and how to verify it.
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An Anjouan licence is cheap, fast to obtain, and increasingly common on newer and crypto-leaning casinos. It is a real authorisation from a real authority — but it is a light-touch one, its international recognition is disputed, and it puts most of the responsibility for fair play on the operator rather than the regulator. The capybara treats it as a “verify everything else” signal, not a stamp of safety.
What the Anjouan licence is
Anjouan is an autonomous island in the Union of the Comoros, off the east coast of Africa. Its gaming licences are issued under the laws of the Autonomous Island of Anjouan. Its licensing regulator is the Anjouan Gaming Authority, the designated regulatory body responsible for the licensing and supervision of internet gaming operations; it operates under the Anjouan Offshore Financial Authority (AOFA) and the Anjouan Gaming Board.
The appeal for operators is straightforward: a single licence covers casino, sportsbook, and other verticals; setup is inexpensive and quick; and there is no EU-style local-substance burden. The trade-off for players is lighter oversight than Malta, Kahnawake, or the new Curaçao regime.
What it allows
- A single, broad licence covering online casino, sports betting, and related products.
- Wide international targeting — operators commonly cite access to roughly 186 countries, minus a restricted list.
- Crypto-friendly operation, which is why many Bitcoin and altcoin casinos carry it.
Countries where Anjouan-licensed casinos are restricted
In practice, operators’ restricted-country lists converge heavily, because the same markets keep showing up for the same reason: each runs its own strict licensing regime that does not recognise an Anjouan authorisation. Here is the commonly-excluded set and why:
| Jurisdiction | Why it’s commonly excluded |
|---|---|
| United States | Federal and state-level gambling law bars offshore operators from serving US players; nearly every Anjouan casino excludes all US states. |
| United Kingdom | UK-facing online gambling requires a UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) licence, which an Anjouan authorisation does not satisfy. |
| France | Requires a licence from France’s Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ); unlicensed offshore operators face enforcement. |
| Netherlands | Dutch-facing online gambling requires a Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) licence. |
| Spain | Requires a DGOJ licence for operators targeting Spanish players. |
| Germany | Falls under Germany’s state gambling treaty and the GGL licensing regime. |
| Austria | Online casino sits under a state monopoly; foreign operators are not authorised to serve Austrian players. |
| Australia | The Interactive Gambling Act restricts offshore online casino services to Australian residents. |
| Ontario, Canada | Real-money online casino requires local registration with iGaming Ontario / AGCO. |
| Comoros (including Anjouan) | The licence excludes its own domestic market. |
| FATF-blacklisted or sanctioned jurisdictions | A standard AML/CFT exclusion applied across almost every gaming licence, not specific to Anjouan. |
How to check before you sign up: treat the table above as “commonly excluded,” not a guarantee for any specific brand. Read the operator’s own “Restricted Territories” or “Prohibited Jurisdictions” clause in its terms and conditions, and check our review’s geo-eligibility notice for that casino — we flag known market exclusions where we’ve verified them. The headline “186 countries” some Anjouan operators advertise is also misleading on its own: every target market still has to be checked against local law. See our restricted countries guide for why that duty sits with the operator, not the licence.
Player protection and security
On paper, Anjouan licensees must maintain AML/CFT compliance, responsible-gambling measures, and fair-play protocols, with 2025–2026 updates adding B2B certification requirements and crypto “Travel Rule” obligations. In practice, enforcement and player-redress are lighter than in top-tier jurisdictions, and there is no equivalent of the MGA’s binding ADR. There is also a recognition problem: some industry bodies and banks treat the Anjouan licence cautiously, and legal commentators note its universal recognition is disputed.
What that means for you: an Anjouan licence tells you a company exists and made some commitments, but it does not promise strong, independently enforced player protection. Your due diligence on payout history and terms matters more here.
The complaints process
Begin with the operator’s support team and internal complaints procedure. Be realistic: the escalation path is thinner and slower than Malta’s, decisions are not the binding-ADR kind, and outcomes depend heavily on the individual operator’s willingness to cooperate. Keep detailed records from day one.
How to verify an Anjouan licence
- The seal should link to a verification record on the official Anjouan gaming authority site, not just sit as a static image.
- Confirm the operator’s legal name and the approved domain match the casino in front of you.
- Cross-check the brand’s reputation on independent player forums — with light-touch licences, community payout reports do a lot of the work the regulator does not.
How the capybara reads it
An Anjouan licence is not a red flag by itself — plenty of legitimate operators use it for speed and global reach, especially in crypto. But it is a low-information signal. It does not promise segregated funds, independent game testing, or a complaints route that concludes. So when a casino’s strongest trust claim is an Anjouan licence, we lean harder on everything else: payout track record, transparent terms, real support, and clean withdrawal history before we rank it.
Which territories do Anjouan licence conditions name as excluded?
The v5 licence conditions (October 2026) bar knowingly targeting residents of excluded territories, listed non-exhaustively as Australia, Austria, Comoros, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States, plus sanctioned jurisdictions and FATF call-for-action jurisdictions.
How much does an Anjouan gaming licence cost?
Anjouan Gaming’s fee page lists EUR 17,828 for B2C licence issuance and EUR 17,828 for annual renewal, with B2B at the same amounts. An additional B2C domain costs EUR 500 each. Application fees are non-refundable; no amount is published.
When must Anjouan licensees verify a player’s identity?
At the earliest of three triggers: lifetime deposits reaching EUR 3,000 (or equivalent), the first withdrawal request of any amount, or suspicious activity. The v5 licence conditions (October 2026) also require verification before any payout.
How fast must Anjouan licensees report suspicious activity and cyber incidents?
The v5 licence conditions (October 2026) require suspicious activity reports no later than 24 hours after suspicion arises and material cybersecurity incidents within 24 hours of discovery. Other serious incidents must be reported within 3 working days.
How can you verify an Anjouan licence?
Anjouan Gaming says the Authority maintains a public register of all licensed entities. Status can be checked through its Verify a Licence tool by searching the licence holder’s name, licence number or operational domain.
Key numbers
| Figure | Value | As of | Primary source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Territories named as excluded in the licence conditions | 9 (non-exhaustive; also sanctioned and FATF call-for-action jurisdictions) | October 2026 (v5) | Anjouan Gaming, Licence Conditions v5 |
| Licence issuance fee (B2C and B2B) | EUR 17,828, one-time | Viewed November 4, 2026 | Anjouan Gaming, Fees |
| Annual renewal fee (B2C and B2B) | EUR 17,828 | Viewed November 4, 2026 | Anjouan Gaming, Fees |
| Additional domain (B2C) | EUR 500 each | Viewed November 4, 2026 | Anjouan Gaming, Fees |
| Identity verification trigger: lifetime deposits | EUR 3,000 (or equivalent) | October 2026 (v5) | Anjouan Gaming, Licence Conditions v5 |
| Suspicious activity report deadline | No later than 24 hours after suspicion arises | October 2026 (v5) | Anjouan Gaming, Licence Conditions v5 |
How to cite this page: Casino Capybara, "Anjouan Gaming Licence Explained: Is It Safe? Restrictions & Complaints", https://casinocapybara.com/guides/anjouan-gaming-licence/, updated November 4, 2026.
Sources and official register
- Anjouan gaming authority (licence verification): anjouangaming.com
- SoftSwiss Knowledge Base, “Anjouan iGaming Licence Guide” (licence structure and obligations overview): softswiss.com
Last reviewed: July 2026. General information, not legal advice. Verify any licence on the official register and check your own country’s rules before playing.
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Frequently asked questions
Is an Anjouan casino legit?
It can be. The licence is genuine, but light-touch and disputed in recognition. Judge the operator on payout history, terms, and reputation rather than the licence alone.
Why do so many crypto casinos use an Anjouan licence?
It is inexpensive, fast to obtain, crypto-friendly, and allows broad international targeting, which suits newer and crypto-first brands.
Can an Anjouan casino accept US or UK players?
No. The US and UK are among the markets almost every Anjouan-licensed operator excludes, alongside France, Germany and FATF-blacklisted countries — see the restricted-countries table above.
Which countries are restricted under an Anjouan gaming licence?
In practice, most exclude the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Austria and Australia (each runs its own strict licensing regime), plus the Comoros domestic market and any FATF-blacklisted country. A casino must also block any other jurisdiction that requires a local licence it doesn't hold, so always check that operator's own terms.