GAMBLING LICENSING & CORPORATE STRUCTURING · SINCE 2004
Get licensed in the right jurisdiction. Then keep the license, the banking and the structure.
We prepare and file gambling license applications, build the corporate and tax structure underneath them, and handle the compliance work that keeps them alive. ONJN Class 1 and Class 2, Malta, Curaçao, Anjouan, Nevis, Kahnawake and seven more regimes.
JURISDICTION REGISTER · GOVERNMENT COST, NOT OUR FEE
What each license actually costs, and how long it takes
Regulator and statutory figures below. Our professional fees, certification, banking and platform costs sit on top, and they vary with the build. Ask for the full first-year model for any single row.
| Jurisdiction | Government cost, year 1 | Time to licence | Tax on GGR | Substance required | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Romania — Class 1ONJN · B2C | €3,500 review + €10,500 issuance + €480,000 min. annual | 4–6 months | 30% (Law 141/2025) | Romanian entity or permanent establishment; local key functions; guarantee capital | Funded operators targeting a real domestic EU market |
| Romania — Class 2ONJN · B2B | €20,000 annual + €15,000 RG levy | 2–4 months | None (supplier) | Romanian or EU entity; ONJN-approved certification of the supplied software | Game studios, aggregators, platforms, affiliates, PSPs |
| MaltaMGA | €25,000 annual B2C + compliance contribution | 6–9 months | 5% on Maltese players | Real office, resident key persons, all key functions filled | Operators who need tier-1 banking and B2B credibility |
| CuraçaoCGA · LOK | €4,592 application + €47,450 annual B2C | 4–8 months | 0% | Local key person by 1 Apr 2027; player records on a Tier-IV server on the island | Multi-vertical operators wanting one licence, no GGR tax |
| AnjouanAOFA / ALSI | ≈ €17,828 annual B2B certificate €9,500 | 4–8 weeks | 0% | Registered address; approved ADR provider from 2026 | Fast market entry, crypto models, budget-constrained launches |
| NevisNOGA | €28,000 annual 2 domains included | 8–12 weeks | 0% on foreign GGR | Nevis entity, registered agent, AML officer | Operators wanting an alternative to Curaçao pricing |
Figures are government and statutory costs only. Last verified: 25.08.2026. Confirm current tariffs with the regulator before committing capital.
WHAT THE FEE TABLES LEAVE OUT
Five things that sink applications after the money is spent
ROMANIA · THE FLOOR IS NOT THE PRICE
Law 141/2025 moved the online authorization tax to 30% of GGR with a minimum of roughly €480,000 a year. That minimum is payable whether or not you take a single bet. Romania is not a market you test. Model the GGR before you incorporate, not after.
CURACAO · SUB-LICENSES NO LONGER EXIST
The LOK ended the master/sub-license model. Master licenses expired in early 2025 and the CGA now licenses directly. If someone is still selling you a Curaçao sub-license, they are selling a document with no regulator behind it.
ANJOUAN · YOUR SUPPLIERS NEED THEIR OWN PAPER
Since July 2025, every B2B provider working with an Anjouan licensee — software, platform, payments, compliance tech — must hold a full B2B license or an approved B2B Recognition Certificate. Operators who onboarded suppliers before that rule are carrying an exposure they usually do not know about.
SUBSTANCE · A NOMINEE DIRECTOR IS NOT A SUBSTANCE
Nominee arrangements protect confidentiality. They do not create economic substance, they do not stop a permanent-establishment finding where the decisions are actually taken, and they do not survive a CFC analysis. Ownership structure and management structure are two separate problems and need two separate answers.
PAYMENTS · THE LICENSE IS NOT THE BOTTLERNECK
Most launches slip on banking and PSP onboarding, not on the regulator. Acquirers underwrite the structure, the UBO file and the target markets, and they do it after the licence is issued. Pre-clear the payment stack in parallel with the application or you will hold a valid licence and no way to take a deposit.
ENGAGEMENT SEQUENCE
How a licensing project runs
Durations below are working timelines for a prepared applicant. The single largest variable is how fast UBO documentation and source-of-funds evidence arrive.
STAGE 01
Jurisdiction fit assessment
Target markets, product mix, budget, banking needs and risk tolerance against the realistic shortlist. You get a written recommendation with the rejected options and why.
Week 0 · 20-min call + 48h memo
STAGE 02
Structure and UBO file
Holding and operating entities, IP ownership, intercompany flows, tax position. UBO pack, source of funds and fit-and-proper evidence assembled to regulator standard.
Weeks 1-3
STAGE 03
Incorporation and domiciliation
Company formation, registered office, directors and key functions, corporate bank account opening, PSP pre-clearance started in parallel.
Weeks 2-6
STAGE 04
Compliance documentation
AML/CFT policy, KYC procedure, responsible gambling policy, T&Cs, complaints and ADR, data protection register. Written for the regulator that will read them, not from a template.
Weeks 3-7
STAGE 05
Technical certification
RNG and platform certification, reporting integration, geo-blocking, data-node placement where the regime requires it.
Weeks 5-12
STAGE 06
Filing and regulator dialogue
Application submitted, questions answered, deficiencies cleared. Then the part most advisers stop at: annual returns, reporting, renewals, rule changes.
Week 6 to issuance, then ongoing
STAGE 01
Jurisdiction fit assessment
Target markets, product mix, budget, banking needs and risk tolerance against the realistic shortlist. You get a written recommendation with the rejected options and why.
Week 0 · 20-min call + 48h memo
STAGE 02
Structure and UBO file
Holding and operating entities, IP ownership, intercompany flows, tax position. UBO pack, source of funds and fit-and-proper evidence assembled to regulator standard.
Weeks 1-3
STAGE 03
Incorporation and domiciliation
Company formation, registered office, directors and key functions, corporate bank account opening, PSP pre-clearance started in parallel.
Weeks 2-6
STAGE 04
Compliance documentation
AML/CFT policy, KYC procedure, responsible gambling policy, T&Cs, complaints and ADR, data protection register. Written for the regulator that will read them, not from a template.
Weeks 3-7
STAGE 05
Technical certification
RNG and platform certification, reporting integration, geo-blocking, data-node placement where the regime requires it.
Weeks 5-12
STAGE 06
Filing and regulator dialogue
Application submitted, questions answered, deficiencies cleared. Then the part most advisers stop at: annual returns, reporting, renewals, rule changes.
Week 6 to issuance, then ongoing
SCOPE OF WORK
What we take off your desk
LICENSING
Gambling license application
- ONJN Class 1 (B2C) and Class 2 (B2B) dossiers
- EU regimes: Malta, Romania, Bulgaria, Estonia, Isle of Man, UK
- Offshore: Curaçao, Anjouan, Nevis, Antigua, Costa Rica, Kahnawake
- Deficiency responses and regulator correspondence
CORPORATE
Structure and UBO file
- Operating and holding entity formation
- Registered office, company secretarial, statutory filings
- Director and key-function appointments
- Substance planning where the regime demands it
TAX
Incorporation and domiciliation
- Gaming duty, corporate tax and withholding modelling
- Cross-border VAT on B2B game supply
- IP location and royalty flows
- Permanent establishment and CFC exposure review
COMPLIANCE
AML, RG & ongoing obligations
- AML/CFT and KYC frameworks written per regime
- Responsible gambling and self-exclusion procedures
- GDPR compliance and records of processing
- Annual reporting, renewals and rule-change monitoring
PAYMENTS
Banking & payment processing
- Corporate, settlement and UBO account opening
- High-risk acquiring and PSP introductions
- Crypto handling policy where the licence permits it
- Underwriting file preparation
GOVERNANCE
Nominee & directorship services
- Professional nominee and turnkey arrangements
- Confidentiality of ownership within disclosure rules
- Board governance for licensed entities
- Director liability and indemnity structuring
LICENSING
Gambling license application
- ONJN Class 1 (B2C) and Class 2 (B2B) dossiers
- EU regimes: Malta, Romania, Bulgaria, Estonia, Isle of Man, UK
- Offshore: Curaçao, Anjouan, Nevis, Antigua, Costa Rica, Kahnawake
- Deficiency responses and regulator correspondence
CORPORATE
Structure and UBO file
- Operating and holding entity formation
- Registered office, company secretarial, statutory filings
- Director and key-function appointments
- Substance planning where the regime demands it
TAX
Incorporation and domiciliation
- Gaming duty, corporate tax and withholding modelling
- Cross-border VAT on B2B game supply
- IP location and royalty flows
- Permanent establishment and CFC exposure review
COMPLIANCE
AML, RG & ongoing obligations
- AML/CFT and KYC frameworks written per regime
- Responsible gambling and self-exclusion procedures
- GDPR compliance and records of processing
- Annual reporting, renewals and rule-change monitoring
PAYMENTS
Banking & payment processing
- Corporate, settlement and UBO account opening
- High-risk acquiring and PSP introductions
- Crypto handling policy where the licence permits it
- Underwriting file preparation
GOVERNANCE
Nominee & directorship services
- Professional nominee and turnkey arrangements
- Confidentiality of ownership within disclosure rules
- Board governance for licensed entities
- Director liability and indemnity structuring
CLIENT PROFILE
Pick the route that matches your business
B2C Operators
Casino, sportsbook, live casino, poker. Market entry, license, banking, live launch.
B2B Suppliers
Game studios, aggregators, platform and live-studio providers needing supplier authorization.
Affiliates
Traffic businesses that now fall inside the licensing perimeter in regulated markets.
Payment Providers
PSPs and processors serving licensed operators, with their own authorization exposure.
B2C Operators
Casino, sportsbook, live casino, poker. Market entry, license, banking, live launch.
B2B Suppliers
Game studios, aggregators, platform and live-studio providers needing supplier authorization.
Affiliates
Traffic businesses that now fall inside the licensing perimeter in regulated markets.
Payment Providers
PSPs and processors serving licensed operators, with their own authorization exposure.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Before you call
It depends on where your players are, what your payment providers will accept, and how much annual cost the business can carry before revenue. If you are targeting Romanian players you need an ONJN license, full stop. If you are selling software to licensed operators you need supplier authorization in each regulated market you supply. If you are launching internationally on a limited budget, Anjouan or Nevis will get you live in weeks rather than months, with the trade-off that tier-1 banking is harder.
For Class 1 (B2C), budget administrative fees of roughly €3,500 for documentation review and €10,500 for issuance, €300,000 for the license fee, plus an annual authorization tax of 30% of GGR with a minimum near €480,000, plus a responsible-gambling contribution of €500,000, plus guarantee capital and share capital. For Class 2 (B2B), the structure is far lighter: a flat annual license fee around €20,000 plus a responsible-gambling contribution. Confirm the current tariff with us before committing.
Anjouan runs 4 to 8 weeks. Nevis 8 to 12 weeks. Curaçao 4 to 8 months under the LOK regime. Romania 2 to 4 months for Class 2 and 4 to 6 months for Class 1. Malta 6 to 9 months. Every one of those assumes complete UBO and source-of-funds documentation at filing. Incomplete files are the main cause of slippage.
In Romania, yes: a Romanian entity or a permanent establishment is required, and that has been mandatory for foreign operators since GEO 82/2023. Malta requires real presence and resident key persons. Curaçao now requires a local key person and on-island data storage under the LOK. Anjouan and Nevis require a local entity and registered agent but no staff.
We open corporate, settlement and beneficial-owner accounts, and we introduce high-risk acquirers and PSPs. We prepare the underwriting file. We do not promise approval, because the acquirer underwrites your structure and target markets, not our relationship with them. Anyone who guarantees you an account is telling you something they cannot deliver.
Yes, in regimes that permit it. Curaçao accommodates crypto deposits and withdrawals under a written policy without a separate virtual-asset authorization. Anjouan permits licensed crypto gambling. Malta requires additional authorization. The choice of jurisdiction largely decides whether the model is workable, so this belongs in the first conversation.
NEXT STEP
Twenty minutes, and you will know which jurisdiction to stop researching
Bring your target markets, product mix, budget and timeline. You will get a straight answer on what fits, what does not, and what the first year actually costs. If the honest answer is that your model does not work anywhere right now, we will tell you that too.
