Alderney Gaming License
How to get a Alderney gambling license: current costs, timelines, requirements, taxes, and operating limits.
Content updated · Research checked
Alderney regulates remote gambling through the AGCC. Category 1 covers the customer relationship, player registration, contracts, promotion, and player funds. Category 2 covers effecting gambling transactions and operating the transaction platform. A business can need one or both, while companies incorporated outside Alderney use associate certificates.
The route is not a four-week formality. Suitability, the internal control system, equipment, capitalization, and relevant people all require approval. Live activation is routinely achievable within six months from the Commission side. The license itself is indefinite, but annual fees continue and Category 1 fees can rise with annualized net gaming yield.
License facts: Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC)
- Cost boundary
- Each new Category 1 or Category 2 full license carries a GBP 17,500 first-year annual fee if the relevant licensed activity has not previously been carried on in Alderney; another new application is GBP 35,000. A full license application starts with a GBP 10,000 investigation deposit. AGCC charges actual investigation and processing costs against it, can require a further GBP 10,000 deposit, and returns or reallocates any surplus. Before launch, the published deposits are GBP 10,000 for ICS approval and GBP 5,000 for equipment approval. Independent testing, GBP 1,000 deposits for each Key Individual application, corporate setup, and investigation overruns are separate. Category 2 is GBP 35,000 on each later anniversary. Category 1 anniversary fees run from GBP 35,000 below GBP 500,000 annualized NGY to GBP 400,000 at GBP 30 million or more, with intermediate bands of GBP 60,000, GBP 80,000, GBP 130,000, GBP 200,000, and GBP 290,000, plus GBP 3,000 per gambling business associate. A Category 1 or Category 2 associate certificate is GBP 35,000 in an eligible first year or GBP 50,000 otherwise. Category 1 associate anniversary fees can also include the applicable NGY supplement, and both associate types add GBP 3,000 per gambling business associate. Core Services Associate and Temporary eGambling licenses are GBP 10,000 annually. A hosting certificate has no annual fee. These figures are not an all-in budget.
- Process timing
- Suitability and license approval average 60 days from receipt, with cases ranging from less than one month to more than one year. Initial equipment approval averages 60 days, initial ICS approval averages 70 days, and new game approvals average 21 days. These tracks can run in parallel or in sequence. Live activation is routinely achievable within six months from the Commission side, but applicant readiness and complete submissions control the result. Four to twelve weeks is not a reliable end-to-end promise.
- Tax / revenue model
- AGCC charges annual license and certificate fees without a separate percentage gaming-duty line. Category 1 annual fees are nevertheless tied to annualized NGY, so saying the regime charges nothing on GGR is misleading. Guernsey company tax rates are 0 percent, 10 percent, or 20 percent depending on the nature of the business; foreign ownership does not establish a 0 percent rate. Pillar Two income-inclusion and domestic minimum top-up tax rules apply to multinational groups meeting the EUR 750 million revenue threshold for accounting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2025. The applicant's actual tax rate and economic-substance obligations require entity-specific analysis.
- Applicant / local requirements
- A full Category 1 or Category 2 license can be granted only to an Alderney company. A promoter can apply before incorporation if AGCC is satisfied that the company will be incorporated. After a full license application is filed, the applicant must publish notice in the next Alderney Official Gazette. A company incorporated outside Alderney can use an associate certificate. A Category 1 associate must appoint a resident representative named in its approved ICS unless it has a Key Individual resident in the Bailiwick. All gambling equipment must be in AGCC-approved premises. Guernsey premises require a hosting certificate; approved premises outside the Bailiwick do not. No universal resident-director or local-employee count applies.
- Term / continuation
- Licenses and certificates are issued for an indefinite period unless surrendered, lapsed, suspended, or revoked. The holder pays the issue fee within seven days and the applicable annual fee in advance of each anniversary. Nonpayment suspends the authorization. If the amount remains unpaid one month after issue or the anniversary, the authorization is deemed lapsed unless AGCC extends the period. The anniversary amount depends on the authorization type and, for Category 1, annualized NGY.
The Alderney eGambling (Amendment) Ordinance 2025 took effect January 1, 2026. It added a broad definition of promotion, changed the customer-due-diligence trigger to the first point at which total deposits reach or exceed EUR 3,000 without a rolling reset, updated the application form, and removed hard-copy filing requirements. The States of Guernsey approved the Alderney eGambling (Operations in Guernsey) (Amendment) Ordinance 2026 by 35 votes to 0 with 1 abstention on June 24, 2026. The ordinance took effect July 1, 2026, expressly criminalizing unlicensed organizing, promoting, or effecting of gambling transactions in Guernsey and aligning the definition of promotion with Alderney.
Licensing decision matrix
Map the customer contract and player funds separately from transaction processing and platform operation. That determines Category 1, Category 2, both categories, or the matching associate route.
Definedfixed by the route or ruleScope-specificchanges with the entity, product, or approvalUnresolvedno dependable rule or figure yet
- Applicant route Defined
- Category 1 covers customer relationships and player funds. Category 2 covers gambling transactions and the platform. Non-Alderney companies use corresponding associate certificates.
- Applicant entity Defined
- A full Category 1 or 2 license requires an Alderney company. A foreign company can use the corresponding associate-certificate route.
- Local presence Scope-specific
- A Category 1 associate normally needs a Bailiwick representative or resident Key Individual. Equipment must be in AGCC-approved premises; no universal local employee count applies.
- Key people Defined
- Relevant control roles require Key Individual certificates. Each application starts with a GBP 1,000 investigation deposit.
- Technical approval Defined
- The internal control system, gambling equipment, games, and capitalization require approval. Initial ICS, equipment, and new-game reviews have separate workstreams and deposits.
- Tax or revenue base Scope-specific
- There is no separate percentage gaming duty, but Category 1 annual fees rise with annualized NGY. Guernsey company tax and economic-substance treatment depend on the activity and entity.
- Ongoing duties Defined
- The operator must maintain approved controls, equipment, Key Individuals, capitalization, player-fund coverage, annual fees, and the reporting attached to its authorization.
- Approval timing Defined
- Suitability averages 60 days, equipment approval 60 days, and ICS approval 70 days. Live activation is routinely achievable within six months when submissions are ready.
- Fees and cost Scope-specific
- First-year and anniversary charges depend on category, route, and NGY. Investigation, ICS, equipment, testing, Key Individuals, incorporation, and overruns are separate.
Continue the decision
Move from the jurisdiction record to the next operator task. These routes do not change or extend the permission described above.
Use the gambling-license application framework
Map the applicant, permission scope, evidence, conditions, changes, and exit before relying on a jurisdiction route.
Open resourceContinue to the casino launch plan
Connect the permission route to the platform, games, payments, controls, acceptance tests, and exit plan.
Open resourceLooking for a licensing service provider?
This page covers the jurisdiction and regulator. A separate directory compares licensing advisors, law firms, compliance consultancies, and corporate-service groups. Inclusion is not a legal endorsement, and the directory does not replace local counsel.
Compare licensing service providersFAQ
What is the difference between Category 1 and Category 2?+
Category 1 covers the customer side of the gambling business, including promotion, registration and verification, customer contracts, and player funds. Category 2 covers effecting the gambling transaction, determining its outcome or random element, and operating the transaction platform. One Alderney company can need both categories. A company incorporated outside Alderney uses the matching associate certificate instead of a standalone full license.
What does an Alderney license cost in the first year?+
There is no single all-in regulatory cost. The first-year annual fee is GBP 17,500 for each eligible new full category. A full license application starts with a GBP 10,000 investigation deposit. ICS and equipment approval add deposits of GBP 10,000 and GBP 5,000 before launch. Deposits are not flat fees and may not equal the final cost. Testing, Key Individual applications, company formation, and local services are separate, so GBP 50,000 to GBP 70,000 is not a fixed all-in price.
How long does the Alderney application process take?+
Suitability and license approval average 60 days, initial equipment approval averages 60 days, and initial ICS approval averages 70 days. The assessments can overlap, but incomplete submissions cause delays. Live activation is routinely achievable within six months from the Commission side, while individual cases range from very short associate applications to full-license applications lasting several months.
Can I apply before forming an Alderney company?+
Yes. A full Category 1 or Category 2 license can only be granted to an Alderney company, but the Ordinance allows a promoter to apply before incorporation if AGCC is satisfied that the necessary incorporation steps will be taken. The Gazette notice follows the application and must appear in the next Alderney Official Gazette after the application date.
Do the gambling servers need to be in Alderney?+
No. Gambling equipment must be housed in premises approved by AGCC, but the equipment does not have to be in Alderney. Premises in Guernsey require an AGCC hosting certificate. Premises outside the Bailiwick must still be approved but do not require a hosting certificate.
Is an Alderney license renewed every year?+
No. The Ordinance gives licenses and certificates an indefinite term unless they are surrendered, suspended, revoked, or allowed to lapse. Annual fees are still due in advance on each anniversary. Failure to pay suspends the authorization and can cause it to lapse one month later unless AGCC grants an extension.
Is an Alderney gambling company tax free?+
There is no safe blanket tax-free answer. AGCC charges annual authorization fees rather than a separate percentage gaming duty, but Category 1 fees are linked to annualized net gaming yield. Guernsey company tax rates are 0 percent, 10 percent, and 20 percent depending on the business activity. Foreign ownership alone does not produce a 0 percent rate, and larger groups can fall within Pillar Two rules.
What must AGCC approve before the business can launch?+
AGCC must complete the suitability decision and approve the internal control system, gambling equipment, capitalization, and relevant Key Individuals. Cash must exceed customer account balances, current assets must exceed current liabilities, and total assets must exceed total liabilities by at least 25 percent. These are continuing operating controls, not just application paperwork.