Licensing in different countries

Updated 23 Jan, 2023
Table of Contents
A gaming license is necessary for any online gambling enterprise if its operator wants to run the business legally and offer their players the best games. It is also necessary for opening a merchant account for your venture. Read about opening merchant and processing accounts.Gaminglicensing offers Curacao and Maltese licenses for online businesses, since these two are the most popular options to date. Both these licenses have their advantages. However, changes constantly occur in gaming legislation, so we compiled the information on legislation in different countries. Read about it in this section.

Curacao license

The Curacao license is a perfect balance between the cost and quality. It takes around 4-6 weeks to obtain it, it is economical, and you can operate any gambling business under one license. Note, if you want to open your own casino, you may not worry about the license at all: our White label platform solution lets you operate under our license.

Maltese license

Maltese license is expensive but very prestigious. There are 4 types of Maltese licenses, each necessary for conducting a particular type of gambling activities: Class 1 – for casino games, skill games and lotteries, Class 2 – for betting, Class 3 – for peer betting and betting exchanges and Class 4 – for software vendors.

There are also other options, which are described in detail in this section. Read about legislation in different countries and ask our experts if you have questions or would like to obtain a license.

Alderney

Alderney Gaming Licence – GamingLicensing

Alderney Gaming Licence

  • One-for-all licence
  • Compliance testing
  • Medium to high costs
  • Mirrored site option
  • Responsible advertising

Andorra

Andorra Gaming Licence – GamingLicensing

Andorra Gaming Licence

  • Gaming legislation is still pending

Argentina

Argentina Gaming Licence – GamingLicensing

Argentina Gaming Licence

  • Unclear regulations
  • Not all businesses are licensed
  • Medium costs

Armenia

Armenia Gaming Licence – GamingLicensing

Armenia Gaming Licence

  • Gambling is legal and popular
  • Actions being taken to protect players
  • Operators require a licence
  • Basic types of gambling activities are possible
  • The country benefits from the gambling sector

Australian Capital Territory

Australian Capital Territory Gaming Licence – GamingLicensing

Australian Capital Territory Gaming Licence

  • Rigid gambling requirements
  • $200,000 licence cost
  • 5-15% Gross profit tax rate
  • Thorough compliance testing
  • Non-standardised licence validity period

Australian Northern Territory

Australian Northern Territory Gaming Licence – GamingLicensing

Australian Northern Territory Gaming Licence

  • No standardised application fee
  • 20,000 revenue units for applying
  • 3 types of businesses to run
  • Game, lottery and ticket sale
  • Business ability, good reputation and financial background required
  • Austria

    Austria Gaming Licence – GamingLicensing

    Austria Gaming Licence

    • Peculiar legislation
    • Care of addicted people
    • Easier conditions for residents of Austria
    • “Small” vs. “proper” gambling
    • The gaming industry is on the rise

    Belarus

    Belarus Gaming Licence – GamingLicensing

    Belarus Gaming Licence

    • Gambling on the internet is illegal
    • Monopolized national lottery
    • Fines for playing on blocked websites
    • Only offline sports betting is available
    • Positive changes are possible in future

    Belgium

    Belgium Gaming Licence – GamingLicensing

    Belgium Gaming Licence

    • Long history of gambling
    • Strict regulations
    • High taxes
    • Player protection
    • Limited number of licences

    Belize

    Belize Gaming Licence – GamingLicensing

    Belize Gaming Licence

    • English-speaking Latin American country
    • 2 types of licences
    • Affordable cost of licences
    • International vendors allowed to operate in Belize
    • Offering bets to locals is prohibited

    Bulgaria

    Bulgaria Gaming Licence – GamingLicensing

    Bulgaria Gaming Licence

    • High taxes
    • Strict regulations
    • Advertising prohibited
    • Regular software check required
    • All-in-one licence

    China

    China Gaming Licence – GamingLicensing

    China Gaming Licence

    • Ambiguous gambling practice
    • Huge gambling market
    • Mainland China vs Macau and Hong Kong
    • Not every lottery is legal
    • Breaches of the law are not punished in full

    Costa Rica

    Costa Rica Gaming Licence – GamingLicensing

    Costa Rica Gaming Licence

    • Poor reputation
    • Inexpensive
    • Weak player protection
    • Local residents are not allowed to play
    • Minimum amount of supervision for licensees

    Croatia

    Croatia Gaming Licence

    • All forms of gambling regulated under the 2014 law
    • Licenses issued by the Ministry of Finance
    • Land-based partner necessary for an online casino to get the license 
    • Licenses valid for 15 years

    Curacao Gaming Licence

    Curacao Gaming Licence

    • One licence for all activities
    • Simple licence obtaining process
    • Only 2 weeks to obtain a licence with gaminglicensing.com
    • No VAT, low profit tax rate
    • Popular in the online gambling industry

    Cyprus

    Cyprus Gaming Licence – GamingLicensing

    Cyprus Gaming Licence

    • Currently only sports betting is legal
    • 2 classes of licences
    • No players below the age of 18 are allowed
    • Physical presence of a provider or its partner in Cyprus is a must
    • 10% betting tax

    Denmark

    Denmark Gaming Licence – GamingLicensing

    Denmark Gaming Licence

    • Affordable tax
    • Focus on safety
    • RNG compliance test
    • Only players from Denmark can play
    • Danish bank account needed

    Estonia

    Estonia Gaming Licence – GamingLicensing

    Estonia Gaming Licence

    • 2 licences needed
    • Validity periods: 20 years, unlimited
    • Low licence cost
    • Low tax
    • Age restrictions

    Finland

    Finland Gaming Licence

    • Gambling in Finland regulated under the Lotteries Act;
    • Minimum gambling age — 18;
    • 70-year state monopoly on gambling;
    • Gambling services provided by state-owned Veikkaus Oy.

    France

    France Gaming Licence – GamingLicensing

    France Gaming Licence

    • Long gambling history
    • High taxes
    • Not all gambling forms are allowed
    • Severe legal requirements
    • Official legalisation in 2010

    Georgia

    Georgia Gaming Licence – GamingLicensing

    Georgia Gaming Licence

    • Gambling activities are regulated by the Revenue Service
    • Player protection
    • Geographic restrictions
    • Taxes depend on the type of activity
    • Free application

    Germany

    Germany Gaming Licence – GamingLicensing

    Germany Gaming Licence

    • Certain types of interactive gambling are illegal
    • Durable licence
    • EU influence
    • Locals may gamble on international sites
    • Sports betting and lottery are ever-popular

    Gibraltar

    Gibraltar Gaming Licence – GamingLicensing

    Gibraltar Gaming Licence

    • Highly reputable jurisdiction
    • Unique pricing system
    • Effective software testing system
    • Dispute management
    • Money-laundering protection

    Greece

    Greece Gaming Licence

    • Regulated by the Hellenic Gaming Commission (HGC);
    • Two types of licenses available — for online betting and other iGaming activities;
    • Restrictions on spin times, bet levels, and jackpot size;
    • Heavily regulated advertising policies;
    • €3 million licensing fee for online betting and €2 million for online casinos.

    Hungary

    Hungary Gaming Licence – GamingLicensing

    Hungary Gaming Licence

    • Uncertain future of the gaming industry
    • Sports betting, poker, casino and other activities
    • Online gambling is already legal
    • Licence validity is 5 years
    • Unfavourable conditions of licensing

    Ireland

    Ireland Gaming Licence – GamingLicensing

    Ireland Gaming Licence

    • Long gambling history
    • Reputable
    • Different forms of activities are possible
    • Good player protection
    • Tax-free winnings

    Isle of Man

    Isle of Man Gaming Licence – GamingLicensing

    Isle of Man Gaming Licence

    • Aimed at responsible gaming
    • Good player protection
    • Low taxes
    • Software is inspected by trustworthy companies
    • Protection of the youth

    Italy

    Italy Gaming Licence – GamingLicensing

    Italy Gaming Licence

  • Overwhelmingly long history of gambling
  • Pricy
  • Bureaucracy
  • Strict measures for not following gambling laws
  • Operators must meet certain requirements
  • Jersey

    Jersey Gaming Licence – GamingLicensing

    Jersey Gaming Licence

    • Small jurisdiction
    • Reputable
    • 5 categories of licensing
    • Started licensing in 2011
    • Strong player protection

    Kahnawake

    Kahnawake Gaming Licence – GamingLicensing

    Kahnawake Gaming Licence

    • Reputable
    • Licenses online poker, casinos, sportsbooks
    • Application fee of US$40,000.00
    • No need to set up a company
    • Quality control

    Latvia

    Latvia Gaming Licence – GamingLicensing

    Latvia Gaming Licence

    • High cost of a licence
    • Age restrictions
    • 50% of key persons must be Latvian residents
    • Licence to be renewed once a year
    • Equipment should be regularly tested

    Lithuania

    Lithuania Gaming Licence – GamingLicensing

    Lithuania Gaming Licence

    • Small jurisdiction
    • Gambling is permitted
    • Different gambling options
    • Non-nationalised lottery
    • Reasonable taxes

    Malta

    Malta Gaming Licence – GamingLicensing

    Malta Gaming Licence

    • Secure business environment
    • Strong player protection
    • Low labour cost
    • Separate licences for different gaming activities
    • Licence validity period: 5 years

    Montenegro

    Montenegro Gaming Licence – GamingLicensing

    Montenegro Gaming Licence

    • Among the newest gaming licensing jurisdictions
    • Lottery licences unavailable
    • Montenegro bank account needed
    • Additional services available
    • Quite low tax

    Nevada

    Nevada Gaming Licence – GamingLicensing

    Nevada Gaming Licence

    • The US gambling center
    • Changeable legislation
    • Regulated since 1931
    • Online gambling is allowed
    • Age restrictions

    Panama

    Panama Gaming Licence – GamingLicensing

    Panama Gaming Licence

    • Small online gambling jurisdiction
    • No strict control of operators
    • Rigid standards of licence issuing
    • Private lotteries are not allowed
    • Low costs

    Poland

    Poland Gaming Licence – GamingLicensing

    Poland Gaming Licence

    • Regulated since 2009
    • Corruption issues in the past
    • Local vs foreign business
    • Licence validity period is 6 years
    • High taxes

    Romania

    Romania Gaming Licence

    • Gambling regulated since 2015;
    • All gambling activities overseen by the National Gambling Office (ONJN); 
    • Class 2 (B2B) gaming license for running online and offline gambling establishments;
    • Varying license fee costs, depending on the type and revenue.

    Serbia

    Serbia Gaming Licence – GamingLicensing

    Serbia Gaming Licence

    • Partially regulated market
    • 4 types of gambling activity
    • Government encourages private operators
    • Common online platform
    • Development potential

    Spain

    Spain Gaming Licence – GamingLicensing

    Spain Gaming Licence

    • High taxes
    • Specific licence for each activity
    • State lotteries
    • National and regional control
    • Illegal operators are banned

    Sweden

    Sweden Gaming Licence

    • Gambling permitted and regulated by the Spelinspektionen;
    • Online casinos, lotteries, bingo, and sportsbooks allowed;
    • Land-based casinos under the exclusive control of the state;
    • Licenses for commercial online casino gambling and sports betting — SEK 400,000 each.

    The Netherlands

    The Netherlands Gaming Licence – GamingLicensing

    The Netherlands Gaming Licence

    • Rigid governmental control
    • State monopolies prevail
    • Remote gambling is possible
    • Currently no licences issued
    • High taxes

    The Philippines

    The Philippines Gaming Licence – GamingLicensing

    The Philippines Gaming Licence

    • Two districts with different set of rules
    • Locals cannot offer bets to locals
    • Licences are issued in Cagayan Freeport
    • Beneficial for Asian markets
    • Software compliance

    United Kingdom

    United Kingdom Gaming Licence – GamingLicensing

    United Kingdom Gaming Licence

    • Good international reputation
    • Costly operations
    • Medium taxes
    • Transparency of business
    • Protection of vulnerable persons

    Vanuatu

    Vanuatu Gaming Licence – GamingLicensing

    Vanuatu Gaming Licence

    • Safe gambling
    • Licence duration: 10 years
    • Low tax
    • Reasonable licence fee
    • Strives for the best