Anjouan vs Malta Gaming License

What should you compare before choosing?

Compare both routes for the same legal entity, the same role (operator or supplier) and the same game portfolio. Until you fix those three inputs, “Anjouan versus Malta” has no reliable answer.

The MGA eligibility FAQ requires the applicant to be established in the EU/EEA. The MGA remote-services page sorts B2C products into four types. Type 1 covers casino games, poker against the house and lotteries. Type 2 covers fixed-odds betting. Type 3 covers pool betting, peer-to-peer games and commission-based games. Type 4 covers controlled skill games. Classifying the products is part of the suitability review. You cannot pick a type from a marketing table.

When does each route make sense?

Malta makes sense when a partner or your own plan requires an MGA licence. Anjouan makes sense when its scope, your markets and your counterparties line up. Neither “more established” nor “lower cost” decides it alone.

A business with an MGA-dependent partner requirement

Get the partner's MGA requirement in writing and check that your product and entity can meet it. A partner's preference does not settle the law in the countries where your customers are.

An operation evaluating Anjouan with willing counterparties

Anjouan fits when its actual licence scope, legal opinions on your markets and your supplier and payment contracts support the business you plan. Confirm those three before you let the lower regulatory charge decide.

A supplier already licensed in Malta

Anjouan handles supplier recognition as its own route under the Anjouan B2B gaming license. The official site does not publish recognition criteria, so an existing Malta authorisation does not guarantee Anjouan approval.

A company seeking one licence for every European country

Plan the project country by country. The European Commission states that EU countries have no obligation to recognise each other's gambling authorisations. Do not assume an MGA licence replaces the national licence in each market. European Commission response, citing CJEU case law.

What do the published fees actually tell you?

Published regulatory fees show individual charges, not the total cash you need to launch or run the business. The figures below are a snapshot; check them again on the date you apply.

Sources: Anjouan fees and MGA remote-services fees. An issuance fee and an application fee are different charges, so the first row does not compare like with like.

Build the budget around legal work, corporate administration, technical testing, compliance staff, payment setup and ongoing operations. Treat minimum share capital and cash reserves separately from fees.

Malta capital and contribution: two concrete budget checks

The MGA Capital Requirements Policy sets minimum capital of €100,000 each for Type 1 and Type 2, and €40,000 for Type 3 or Type 4. Capital here means issued and paid-up shares plus share premium reserves. Holding several types adds the amounts together, up to a €240,000 cap; B2B minimum capital is €40,000. So a Type 1 casino with a Type 2 sportsbook needs €200,000 in capital, separate from regulatory fees. Confirm the classification and how the rules treat your entity or group before you fund the company.

The MGA fees guidance treats the compliance contribution as a separate charge. Take €1 million of Type 1 gaming revenue. The first band of 1.25% gives €12,500. A new operator does not owe the €15,000 annual minimum until a full licence period has passed, so the first-period contribution stays at €12,500. Add the €5,000 application fee and the €25,000 annual licence fee, and these three charges come to €42,500 in the first period. After that, the minimum lifts the contribution to €15,000 and the two recurring charges reach €40,000 a year. The example assumes no start-up relief and no other adjustment. The licence period is the licensee's financial year, so the first period can be shorter than twelve months; confirm accrual and payment dates separately. Capital, tax, audits and running costs come on top.

The Anjouan gaming license cost breakdown lists the authority fees alongside MGL's service packages.

Why does the October 2026 tax change matter?

Since 1 October 2026, Malta's gaming tax is 15% for Type 1 and 10% for Types 2 to 4, up from a flat 5%. The old gaming tax and the gaming device levy now form one tax. A forecast that still uses a flat “5% Malta tax” line is out of date. The MGA remote-services page still listed 5% on 1 October 2026; that figure is no longer current.

Legal Notice 84 of 2026 applies these rates to the relevant gaming revenue. For services offered solely remotely, tax depends on whether the player is established, has a permanent address or usually resides in Malta. Where the player is physically present does not matter. Controlled gaming premises and junkets stay at 5%.

The rates apply only to revenue from players with that Malta link, not to an MGA licensee's customers worldwide. Have tax counsel confirm the activity type, player nexus, tax base and period. VAT and corporate tax are calculated separately. The MGA/MTCA announcement gives context; where the two differ, the legal notice governs.

How do you assess compliance readiness and timing?

For Malta, check game classification, eligibility, key functions and system readiness. For Anjouan, check the published licence conditions and any conditions set for your own licence. A timeline that leaves out building systems, appointing responsible staff or getting supplier sign-off is incomplete.

The MGA application page links the current system-documentation and audit materials. On the Anjouan side, match your operating model against the published licence conditions and the terms of your actual approval. For both, draw up a schedule of owners, documents, tests and dependencies.

Use an Anjouan gaming license check to compare the company, domain, status and dates against the issuer's record. Resolve any discrepancy before relying on the licence. Which markets you can serve is a separate check: Anjouan gaming license restricted countries.

Can you start in Anjouan and add Malta later?

A later MGA application is a new project in its own right. Plan the first operation around Malta's future entity, contract, data and customer requirements, and do not assume it will transfer.

If Curaçao is also on your shortlist, the Anjouan versus Curaçao comparison tests that route on its own current evidence.

Discuss a scope-matched comparison with MGL

Send us your products, target countries, entity structure, partner requirements and launch budget to discuss Anjouan and Malta with MGL. We will tell you what is feasible and what is still open. No licence, tax outcome or payment-provider decision is guaranteed.