If you are an operator and want to start a new online casino, you will need to start by obtaining a gambling licence. Without a gambling licence, you cannot operate and offer gambling-related entertainment to players legally. While some sites want to ignore all odds and continue operating without a gambling license, they will face many consequences. One of them is the lack of reliable game providers on your site and the poor quality of the games. Consequently, a licence is essential. If that's not something to look out for when business is booming, it's an investment in your future brand. The success of your site will ultimately depend on reputation, and reputation starts with licensing. So, let's look at all the licences available, the work you need to put in to get one, and the prices it includes.

The following organisations currently offer gambling licences.

Malta Lotteries and Gambling Authority (MGA)
United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC)
Curacao Gaming Control
Gibraltar Gambling Ordinance
Antigua and Barbuda Gaming Division
Kanawake Gambling Commission
IoM Gambling Supervision Commission

Malta

Malta may be small in size and population, but it boasts one of the most outstanding gambling licences. To date, casino without Swedish license Malta has granted more than 380 gambling licenses and receives tons of other B2B or B2C applications every year. The licence was launched in 2000 and attracted many online operators; however, it was after an upgrade in 2004 that it caught the attention of the online gambling world .

Class 1 gaming licence: for all operators providing online casino games, gambling and games that use a random number generator. Virtually all online casinos.

Class 2 gaming license: for online sports and betting operators. Some casinos may only offer casinos, but others also offer sports; hence, an additional license is required.

Class 3 gaming licence: for advertisers and promoters operating in Malta. These companies may be outsiders working for a casino as a third-party outlet.

Class 4 gaming licence: for companies that host and operate remote gaming operations, but are not operators themselves.
Curaçao and the Netherlands Antilles
Recognised as one of the most lenient gambling licences, welcome to the Curaçao and Netherlands Antilles gambling licences. Launched in 2020 by the Curaçao Gambling Control Board , it has already granted operators a whopping 400 licences.

When it comes to obtaining a Curaçao gambling licence, the process is not as rigorous as other licences. Maybe that's why new operators looking to open a business are almost always looking for this license. If you manage to get this licence, you can also get sub-licences quite easily in the future and promote the following

Poker
Sports betting
Casino games
Exchange betting
Live dealer casino
Live Bets
P2P games
Mobile poker games
Mobile Gambling
Fantasy Sports Betting
Binary options trading
Forex trading
Lotteries
If you have a Curacao licence, you may be asked to shell out a hefty 2% on all your gaming revenue, and since the island became independent in 2010, it also has its own jurisdiction, laws and governance. This has caused some consternation in the last couple of years when a gambling licence in Curacao has been labelled as a vehicle for tax evasion, fraud, and casino site scams. Unfortunately, being one of the most controversial gambling licences, the industry has called for better governance and better laws from the Curaçao licensing authority, and we should all expect better laws and frameworks to mirror those provided by the MGA and UKGC.

Kanawake

Since its launch in 1996, a total of 100 gambling licences have been issued by the Kanawake Gambling Commission . If you wish to obtain or apply for approval for this type of gambling, you will need to provide the following:

Only eligible individuals and entities can operate online gambling establishments. The governing body may ask you to provide documents to prove that you are genuinely trustworthy and decent.
That all games are fair and bring players true and random results. There are companies that offer such a service and make sure that your casino or sports betting site is fair for all.
All winners are paid the appropriate gaming profits and all money is kept safe and sound. Casinos should have a robust anti-fraud and anti-payment system in place to ensure this is always promoted.
Getting a Kanawake licence is easy, so why shouldn't operators use that licence? The answer is one and simple; it comes with a hefty price tag. As a new applicant, you have to shell out an initial C$25,000 as well as a C$15,000 testing fee to be considered for your application. An additional CAD $10,000 is required during your first year to support your licence. After that, all key members of your company will need to pay CAD $5,000 per year if they are deemed key to the casino's success story.

Costa Rica

One of the reasons why this form of gambling license is so popular is that the Costa Rican government does not consider a gambling site server to be a gambling venue.

There are currently 160 betting and gambling sites with this type of license, but not many of them are also licensed by the MGA or UKGC. One of the reasons why the license in Costa Rica is not so popular is the lack of policy, governance and follow-up. Unfortunately, this has been one of the main reasons why many companies, both legal and illegal, apply for this licence. It is possible to have your own policy guidelines and without controls.

To get a licence in Costa Rica, there is not much money to spend annually, as you only need $5500. On the other hand, you will be considered a data processing company and not a gambling operator. In 2013, the country began working on future plans to update its gaming structure and also began collecting taxes from license holders; of course, this is still a work in progress.

Gibraltar

There was a time when the biggest sports betting sites in Europe were Gibraltar and everyone in the business seemed to move there. Although Gibraltar is a small part of the European Union as a self-governing British dependency, it pays no UK tax laws. Launched in 2005 to attract multiple online operators, a whopping 250 licences have since been issued, with more than 2,000 employees employed at Gibraltar's proposed sites.

As a new operator it is difficult to get a gaming licence in Gibraltar , and only the most established brands will get one. Basically, if you are a successful operator in the industry, you will get Gibraltar approval; if you are new to the business and just starting out, you can forget about it. As for costs, you'll only pay a generous 1%, but no more than 425k, but the minimum amount is 85k. If you do or don't, you still have to pay. There is no VAT in Gibraltar, which is still an advantage.

United Kingdom 

The United Kingdom Gambling Commission started in 2005 after the Gambling Act was passed and the rest is history. Suppose you're one of those punters who likes a reputable site that operates under strict rules; the gambling licence to look for is a UK one. And if you're a new operator who wants to succeed in business and is considered a site with a good reputation, then the gambling licence you need is a UK licence.

The UK is one of the largest gambling markets in the UK for both casinos and sports, and if you want to promote your games to UK players, a licence is essential. Casinos with a UKGC licence can offer poker, table games, online casinos, bingo, betting on horse racing, virtual sports and even betting on horse racing. You'll need to pay a good amount of money to get a UKGC licence, which includes a 15% gambling tax.

Since the introduction of the Gambling Act in 2005, the bill has undergone significant changes. Today, as we have UK MPs working together to see such changes happen and to stop some of the most visible publicity in the UK gambling industry, that the UKGC supports 100%. More changes are expected to ensure taxes are paid fairly, including operators based outside the UK to pay additional taxes in the UK.

The bottom line is that if you are an operator looking to succeed in the world of sports betting, you need a UKGC gambling licence.
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