How much does a gambling license cost in 2026?
Government and statutory costs alone range from €15,233 in year one (Tuvalu) to more than €1,280,000 a year (Romania Class 1, because of its €480,000 minimum authorization fee). For an online casino with €1,000,000 of GGR from international markets, the lowest three-year cost is Tuvalu at €43,554; the lowest Tier 1 option is Malta at €125,000. Professional fees, staff, office and hosting come on top.
Malta MGA · Tier 1 · 4–6 months (typical practice; no MGA timeline)
Malta, online casino, €1,000,000 of GGR a year: €125,000 in government costs over 3 years, €45,000 of it in year 1.
The minimum applies below €1,200,000 of GGR in the charge base; above it you pay the plain rate.
Year by year
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regulator fees, one-off | €5,000 | €0 | €0 | €5,000 |
| Regulator fees, recurring | €25,000 | €25,000 | €25,000 | €75,000 |
| GGR-based charges | €15,000 | €15,000 | €15,000 | €45,000 |
| Total | €45,000 | €40,000 | €40,000 | €125,000 |
How the total is calculated
- Application fee verified
€5,000 — one-off
S.L. 583.03 · Source · Verified 2026-11-10 - Annual fixed fee, B2C (Types 1–3) verified
€25,000 — every year
S.L. 583.03 · Source · Verified 2026-11-10 - Compliance contribution, Type 1 (casino) verified
1.25% of the first €3m of revenue, then 1.00% / 0.85% / 0.70% / 0.55% / 0.40% by band; min €15,000, max €375,000
Year 1: €15,000 · Year 2: €15,000 · Year 3: €15,000
S.L. 583.03, First Schedule Part A · Source · Verified 2026-11-10 · New operators are exempt from the full minimum in their first financial year (reg. 9); the calculator applies the minimum, as the register does. - Gaming tax, Type 1 casino (players in Malta) verified
15% × GGR from players in Malta
Year 1: €0 · Year 2: €0 · Year 3: €0
S.L. 583.10 as amended by LN 84 of 2026 · Source · Verified 2026-11-10
Not included in the total
- Share capital, Type 1 casino (locked) — €100,000 · locked capital, not a cost
If your GGR is lower or higher
| Scenarios | GGR | Year 1 | 3-year total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low (70% of GGR) | €700,000 | €45,000 | €125,000 |
| Base (your GGR) | €1,000,000 | €45,000 | €125,000 |
| High (130% of GGR) | €1,300,000 | €46,250 | €128,750 |
Not included: corporate income tax, VAT, player-side taxes, professional fees, testing labs, substance costs (staff, office, hosting) and banking reserves.
Assumptions: one site, one activity category, one key person and one domain; annual fees counted in full in year 1; with casino and betting, GGR is split 50/50 where the two are charged differently; amounts converted at the rates shown.
Data version 2026.11.10-3, verified 10 November 2026. Exchange rates: ECB euro reference rates of 9 November 2026 (PEN and COP crossed through USD). Methodology
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Book a free 20-minute fit callHow to read the results
- Year 1 adds one-off fees (application, issuance) to the annual fees; year 2+ is the recurring cost.
- GGR charges apply only to the GGR each rule taxes: Malta’s gaming tax only on players in Malta, Romania’s 30% only on Romanian players, the UK duties only on players in Great Britain.
- Market fit: a regulated market needs its own license. If a license does not cover a market you select, the row shows “Requires the [market] license” and adds that license’s cost.
- Locked capital (guarantees, minimum share capital) is shown separately and never added to costs.
- Every line shows its legal basis, source, verification date and status: verified, estimated, indicative or unverified.
- Not included: corporate income tax, VAT, player-side taxes, professional fees, testing labs, substance costs and banking reserves. Full rules on the methodology page.
Headline findings (data version 2026.11.10-3)
- Lowest three-year cost at €1m GGR from international markets: Tuvalu, €43,554, ahead of Anjouan at €53,484.
- Cheapest Tier 1 license at €1m GGR: Malta, €125,000 over three years.
- Romania Class 1: at €1m of Romanian GGR the statutory charges are €1,280,000 a year, 128% of GGR; the €480,000 minimum stops applying at €1,600,000.
- Cheapest B2B supplier license in year one: Tuvalu, €15,233; Romania Class 2 costs €45,500 in year one and €35,000 a year after.
- 5 of the 25 regimes cannot be licensed now: Finland, Canada, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica.
Link to a prefilled result
Every setting is in the page address, so a result can be shared, bookmarked or cited. Parameters: p product (casino, betting, both, b2b), sub supplier type, m markets with % of GGR (e.g. intl:60,romania:40), g GGR in euros for years 1–3, y years shown, c currency (EUR, GBP, USD, CAD), mode compare or single, r regime.
- Romania Class 1 at €1m of Romanian GGR
- Offshore casino licenses compared at €2m GGR
- B2B supplier licenses compared
- Casino and betting for international markets plus Malta and the UK, in pounds
Related
Reviewed by Alex Szilaghi
Founder of Szilaghi Consulting, licensing gambling businesses since 2004 across EU, UK, Canadian and offshore jurisdictions, based in Romania and working before ONJN on Class 1 and Class 2 files. We act as Romanian representative and local director for foreign ONJN licensees and file their monthly regulatory reports, so these guides reflect how the rules are applied in practice, not only how they read.
Last legal review . Figures as of the data version shown in the calculator. General information, not legal advice.
Gambling license cost FAQs
How much does a gambling license cost in 2026?
Government and statutory costs alone range from €15,233 in year one (Tuvalu) to more than €1,280,000 a year (Romania Class 1, because of its €480,000 minimum authorization fee). For an online casino with €1,000,000 of GGR from international markets, the lowest three-year cost is Tuvalu at €43,554; the lowest Tier 1 option is Malta at €125,000. Professional fees, staff, office and hosting come on top.
Which gambling license is cheapest at €1 million GGR?
For an online casino with €1,000,000 of GGR from international markets, Tuvalu has the lowest three-year government cost (€43,554), followed by Anjouan (€53,484). These are entry-level licenses: they do not open Tier 1 banking or regulated markets. The lowest Tier 1 option is Malta at €125,000.
What is the cheapest Tier 1 gambling license?
At €1 million of GGR from international markets, Malta: €45,000 in year one and €125,000 over three years in government costs. The ranking changes with GGR and markets: run the calculator with your own figures.
Does the calculator include gaming taxes?
Yes. GGR-based charges set by the regulator or the gaming tax law are included, applied only to the GGR each rule taxes (for example Malta’s 15%/10% only on players in Malta). Corporate income tax, VAT and taxes paid by players are not included.
Why is Romania so much more expensive?
Romania Class 1 charges a 30% authorization fee on Romanian GGR with a €480,000 annual minimum, plus a €300,000 license fee and a €500,000 responsible-gambling contribution: €1,280,000 a year at €1m of GGR. The minimum stops applying at €1,600,000 of GGR. Romania Class 2 (B2B) costs €45,500 in year one and has no GGR charge.
What is locked capital?
Money you must hold but do not spend: bank guarantees, security deposits and minimum share capital (for example Romania’s €5,000,000 casino guarantee or Cyprus’s €550,000 bank guarantee). The calculator shows it in its own column and never adds it to costs.
Can I link to or embed a result?
Yes. Every input is stored in the page address, and “Copy link” copies it. “Embed this calculator” gives an iframe code with your settings and a “Powered by Szilaghi Consulting” link. “Cite this tool” gives plain-text, APA and MLA citations with the data version.
How often is the data updated?
Every 90 days and whenever a regulator changes a fee. The current data version is 2026.11.10-3, verified on 10 November 2026. Each change is logged on the methodology page.