Nikolai Timofejev
15 years in FinTech and payments. Maps your business model to the right licence scope and leads the file all the way to the AGCC's decision, including banking and payment rails.
Get a gambling license in Alderney.
The AGCC licenses remote gambling only, through an Alderney company, in two categories: Category 1 for the operator that holds the player relationship and the funds, Category 2 for the platform that effects the bet from an approved hosting centre. An applicant with no previous licensed activity pays £17,500 for its first year, then £35,000-£400,000 a year by net gaming yield, on a schedule unchanged since 1 April 2015. Company income tax is 0%. The register is small, 29 entities at the end of 2025, and it does not reach British players: serving them takes a separate Gambling Commission licence.
27 yrs
on the international marketon the market
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in-house specialistsspecialists
400+
Licenses obtainedlicenses obtained
Updated
Alderney in brief
A licence in two halves, on a shrinking register.
The Gambling (Alderney) Law, 1999 is the enabling statute; the Alderney eGambling Ordinance, 2009 and the eGambling Regulations, 2009 carry the detail, and the Alderney Gambling Control Commission licenses remote gambling only. Section 5(1) of the Ordinance lets a Category 1 or Category 2 licence go to an Alderney company and nobody else. The application is announced by notice in the Alderney Gazette. Category 1 covers the player side - registration, verification, the contract and the player funds. Category 2 covers effecting the transaction, including the platform, which must sit in an AGCC-approved hosting centre. Casino and betting run under the same licence. Under s.7(1) a licence is valid for an indefinite period; s.8 makes the fee payable in advance of each anniversary, and an unpaid fee means suspension and, a month later, lapse. The AGCC's own average for approval is 60 days.
The fee schedule has not moved since 1 April 2015. A first year costs £17,500 for an applicant with no previous licensed activity, then Category 1 renews by annualised net gaming yield, from £35,000 under £500,000 to £400,000 at £30 million and up; Category 2 renews at a flat £35,000. Company income tax is 0%, because Alderney sits inside the Guernsey income tax area and gambling is not on its 10% or 20% lists. The register is small and getting smaller. At 31 December 2025 the AGCC counted 19 Category 1 licences, 4 Category 2 licences and 29 entities in all, after one new Category 1 licence and five lapses during the year; its annual report points to rest-of-world markets such as Canada and New Zealand. British players are the hard limit. Since 1 November 2014 serving them needs a Gambling Commission licence. We run Alderney files from our St Anne office.
AGCC eGambling licences under the 2009 Ordinance: Category 1 for the player side, Category 2 for the platform in an approved hosting centre. Alderney company only (s.5(1)), Gazette notice, indefinite term. £17,500 first year, then £35,000-£400,000 by NGY.
0% company income tax. A small register: 29 entities at the end of 2025. British players need a separate GB licence. Run from our St Anne office.
The two licences
Category 1 for the operator - Category 2 for the platform.
Alderney splits one gambling operation in two: the business that contracts with players, and the platform that effects the bet. A company may hold either licence or both. Game studios supplying a licensee take a core services associate certificate instead, at £10,000 a year.
Category 1 for the operator - or Category 2 for the platform.
01 - CATEGORY 1 EGAMBLING LICENCE · B2C
The operator licence
The B2C permission: registering and verifying players, contracting with them and managing their funds, for casino, betting and other games of chance or skill. The first year costs £17,500 with no previous licensed activity and £35,000 otherwise; renewal then follows net gaming yield in seven bands.
The B2C permission: registering and verifying players, contracting with them and managing their funds, for casino, betting and other games of chance or skill. The first year costs £17,500 with no previous licensed activity and £35,000 otherwise; renewal then follows net gaming yield in seven bands.
- ✓Player contract and player funds
- ✓Casino and betting, one licence
- ✓First year £17,500 or £35,000
- ✓Renewal £35,000-£400,000 by NGY
- ✓£3,000 per associate a year
- ✓Indefinite term - s.7(1)
02 - CATEGORY 2 EGAMBLING LICENCE · PLATFORM
£35,000 a yearThe platform licence
The B2B side: effecting the gambling transaction, including running the gambling platform from an AGCC-approved hosting centre. A first year with no previous licensed activity costs £17,500, then a flat £35,000 a year whatever the volume. The AGCC counted 4 Category 2 licences at the end of 2025.
Category 2 for the platform that effects the bet from an approved hosting centre: £17,500 first year, then £35,000 flat.
- ✓Effects the gambling transaction
- ✓Platform in approved hosting
- ✓First year £17,500 or £35,000
- ✓Flat £35,000 renewal
- ✓Alone or with Category 1
- ✓Hosting certificate: no annual fee
Costs and timelines are confirmed for your case before any work begins. AGCC fees follow the schedule in force since 1 April 2015; investigation deposits are drawn against actual costs and the balance is refunded.
Why Alderney
A small register with fixed prices.
Alderney sells a published annual fee and 0% company income tax; the trade-off is a register that saw five entities let their licences or certificates lapse in 2025.
✓
Fees unchanged since 2015
The schedule has not moved since 1 April 2015. A first year costs £17,500 without previous licensed activity, and Category 1 renewal starts at £35,000.£35,000 floor from year two.
✓
0% company income tax
Alderney falls inside the Guernsey income tax area, where the standard company rate is 0% and gambling is not on the 10% or 20% lists.Guernsey standard rate.
✓
One licence, every product
Casino, betting and other games of chance or skill sit under the same eGambling licence. There are no separate product permits to stack.Casino and betting together.
✓
Indefinite licence term
Section 7(1) of the Ordinance: valid for an indefinite period unless surrendered, lapsed, suspended or revoked. The annual fee keeps it current.Section 7(1) of the Ordinance.
✓
60-day average approval
The AGCC's own average is 60 days from receipt, with a spread from under a month to more than a year. Live activation within six months of application is routine on its side.The AGCC's own figure.
✓
The warning: no British access
Since 1 November 2014 British players need a Gambling Commission licence, and Remote Gaming Duty is 40% of gaming profits from 1 April 2026. Alderney does not replace either.GB licence needed separately.
How it compares
How Alderney differs from other routes.
The honest comparison: Alderney is a quiet hub with flat fees and 0% company income tax. It is a base licence, and ring-fenced markets such as Great Britain still want their own.
Alderney vs other jurisdictions
| Feature |  Alderney | Other jurisdictions |
|---|---|---|
| Regime | eGambling Ordinance 2009 · AGCC | Hub or national regimes |
| Annual fee | £35,000-£400,000 by NGY | €25,000 Malta · £100k Gibraltar B2C |
| Corporate tax | 0% standard rate | ~5% Malta eff. · 15% Gibraltar |
| Realistic timeline | 5-7 months to go live | 6-12 months Malta · 4-8 Isle of Man |
Regime
AlderneyeGambling Ordinance 2009 · AGCC
Other jurisdictionsHub or national regimes
Annual fee
Alderney£35,000-£400,000 by NGY
Other jurisdictions€25,000 Malta · £100k Gibraltar B2C
Corporate tax
Alderney0% standard rate
Other jurisdictions~5% Malta eff. · 15% Gibraltar
Realistic timeline
Alderney5-7 months to go live
Other jurisdictions6-12 months Malta · 4-8 Isle of Man
Country by country
| Country | License type | Taxation | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alderney | AGCC Category 1 · Category 2 | 0% company income tax | Alderney company, approved hosting |
 Isle of Man | OGRA full · sub · network | 0% CIT · duty from 1.5% | IoM company, local substance |
 Gibraltar | B2C £100k · B2B £85k | 15% CIT · 0.15% duty | Substance, blue-chip vetting |
 Malta | MGA B2C · B2B | 5% eff. via refunds · 5% Malta GGR | €100k/€40k capital, key functions |
AlderneyLicense typeAGCC Category 1 · Category 2
Taxation0% company income tax
RequirementsAlderney company, approved hosting
Isle of ManLicense typeOGRA full · sub · network
Taxation0% CIT · duty from 1.5%
RequirementsIoM company, local substance
GibraltarLicense typeB2C £100k · B2B £85k
Taxation15% CIT · 0.15% duty
RequirementsSubstance, blue-chip vetting
MaltaLicense typeMGA B2C · B2B
Taxation5% eff. via refunds · 5% Malta GGR
Requirements€100k/€40k capital, key functions
Before you apply
Requirements for the Alderney licence.Requirements for the licence.
The AGCC reviews the company, the key individuals and the systems that will run the games. A complete file covers the ten items below.
01
Alderney company - Category 1 and Category 2 licences go only to an Alderney company (Ordinance s.5(1)), formed before the application.
02
Gazette notice - a notice of the application published in the Alderney Gazette.
03
Application and deposit - the form with its appendices and supporting documents, filed with the £10,000 initial investigation deposit.
04
Key individuals - application forms and the related deposits for each key individual; the AGCC issues key individual certificates.
05
Approved hosting - servers that effect transactions from Alderney or Guernsey placed in an AGCC-approved hosting centre.
06
Internal control system - ICS approval against a £10,000 deposit, with an AGCC average of 70 days for initial approval.
07
Equipment and games - gambling equipment approval against a £5,000 deposit (60 days on average) and new games in about 21 days.
08
Operating standards - Regulations 175-187, 200-215 and 243 on internal controls, equipment approval and fair games.
09
AML/CFT - a programme under the Bailiwick's proceeds-of-crime law of 1999 and the Proliferation Financing Regulations 2024, with the Schedule 4 due diligence trigger as amended in 2025.
10
Fees on the calendar - the licence fee due within seven days of issue and in advance of each anniversary; an unpaid fee means suspension, then lapse after a month (s.8).
01
Alderney company (s.5(1)).
02
Gazette notice published.
03
Form + £10,000 deposit.
04
Key individuals filed.
05
Approved hosting centre.
06
ICS approved.
07
Equipment and games approved.
08
Regs 175-187, 200-215, 243.
09
AML/CFT per 2025 changes.
10
Fees paid on time (s.8).
Reflects the Gambling (Alderney) Law 1999, the eGambling Ordinance and Regulations 2009 and the AGCC fee schedule as of 2026.Ordinance 2009 + AGCC fees from 1.4.2015.
How it works
From first call to the AGCC register.
01
Category and scope
Category 1, Category 2 or both, and the products, fixed in writing before any spend.Fixed in writing.
02
Company and notice
Alderney company formed, Gazette notice published, key individuals identified.Gazette notice placed.
03
The application
Form, appendices and supporting documents filed with the £10,000 investigation deposit.£10,000 deposit.
04
AGCC review
60 days on the AGCC's average, with ICS approval (70 days) and equipment approval (60 days) running alongside.60 days on average.
05
Licence and go-live
First fee paid within seven days of issue. Live activation within six months of application is routine on the AGCC's side.Within six months, routinely.
Quick facts
RegulatorAGCC
FrameworkeGambling Ordinance 2009
Category 1 first year£17,500 / £35,000
Category 1 renewal£35,000-£400,000
Category 2 renewal£35,000 flat
Investigation deposit£10,000
Company income tax0%
Approval average60 days
The licence can come in about 60 days, but going live also needs the ICS and equipment approvals. We plan 5-7 months from first call and start the hosting and ICS work in week one.
On the ground in Alderney
Run from our St Anne office.
Prifinance - Alderney
St Anne · Alderney
St Anne, Alderney
01
Company and Gazette
The Alderney company formed and the notice of application placed in the Alderney Gazette - both done before filing.Formed, notice placed.
02
Category choice
Category 1, Category 2 or both, mapped against your platform and contracts, with associate certificates where suppliers need them.1, 2 or both.
03
Hosting and ICS
An AGCC-approved hosting centre arranged and the internal control system documented for an approval that averages 70 days.Approved centre, 70-day ICS.
04
The AGCC file
Application, appendices and key individual forms drafted in St Anne and answered through the AGCC's questions.Drafted in St Anne.
We also have offices in
Tallinn
Estonia
Väike-Paala tn 1
Vilnius
Lithuania
Gedimino pr. 2
Prague
Czech Republic
Vlkova 532/8, Žižkov
Dubai
UAE
33 Level, Al Saqr Business Tower
Madeira
Portugal
Rua da Alegria 31, 1F
Budapest
Hungary
Korányi Sándor u. 4
Istanbul
Turkey
Perpa Ticaret Merkezi, A Blok
Good to know
Taxation of gaming operators in Alderney.
The licence fee is the main charge the AGCC lists, and company income tax runs at the 0% standard rate; indirect tax and player-side questions are confirmed per structure.
Company income tax 0%
The standard rate for companies in the Guernsey income tax area, which includes Alderney. Gambling is not on the 10% or 20% lists.Standard rate.
Licence fee by net gaming yield
Category 1 renews by annualised NGY in seven bands, from £35,000 under £500,000 to £400,000 at £30 million and above.£35k-£400k.
Category 2 at a flat £35,000
Platform licences renew at £35,000 a year regardless of volume, after a £17,500 first year for an applicant with no previous licensed activity.£35,000.
Associates at £3,000 each
A gambling business association fee of £3,000 per associate per year applies to Category 1 and Category 2 licences.£3,000 each.
Deposits, drawn at cost
Investigation and approval deposits are drawn against AGCC costs, with staff time at £75-£300 an hour, and any balance is refunded.Drawn at cost.
British duty if you serve GB
Players in Great Britain bring a Gambling Commission licence and HMRC's Remote Gaming Duty, 40% of gaming profits from 1 April 2026.RGD 40% if serving GB.
Tax summary
Company income tax0% standard rate
Category 1 renewal£35,000-£400,000
Category 2 renewal£35,000
Associate fee£3,000 a year
GB playersGC licence + RGD 40%
*As of 2026 per the Guernsey Revenue Service and the AGCC fee schedule. Group and founder-level outcomes are modelled per structure.
Turnkey professional support
Experienced lawyers and international consultants.
We provide end-to-end support, from company registration and the application file to regulatory interaction and compliance oversight - with an individualized approach to each client.
Oleksii Kindratenko
Builds the application itself: Alderney company, AML/KYC policy pack, capital structure and tax registrations. His document sets are the reason reviews finish in months, not years.
Eugeniu Bevziuc
First point of contact for international founders. Runs the whole setup remotely, across time zones and languages - from the first call to a live, licensed operator.
Follow Prifinance
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Alderney · AGCC
Launch your gaming project in Alderney with expert support.
Full-service assistance - from the Alderney company and Gazette notice to the Category 1 or 2 licence, hosting and ICS approval - run through our St Anne office.
Get a consultation →Free legal opinion
Is Alderney the right fit for your project?
Our legal team will analyze your case at no cost and provide a written legal opinion: which jurisdiction, licence scope, or route fits your business.
Written assessment within 2-5 business days
Request a free conclusion →FAQ
The Alderney gaming licence, answered.
Can an Alderney licence serve British players?+
No. Since 1 November 2014 any operator whose remote facilities are used in Great Britain needs a Gambling Commission licence and HMRC registration, with Remote Gaming Duty at 40% from 1 April 2026. Alderney can be the base; the British licence is separate.
What is the difference between Category 1 and Category 2?+
Category 1 covers the player side: registration, verification, the contract and player funds. Category 2 covers effecting the transaction, including the platform in an approved hosting centre. A company may hold either or both.
What does an Alderney licence cost?+
£17,500 for a first year with no previous licensed activity, £35,000 otherwise. After that Category 1 renews at £35,000-£400,000 by net gaming yield and Category 2 at £35,000, plus £3,000 per associate. The schedule dates from 1 April 2015.
Do we need an Alderney company?+
Yes. Section 5(1) of the Ordinance grants Category 1 and 2 licences only to an Alderney company, and the application is announced in the Alderney Gazette. Local director and bank account arrangements are confirmed per case.
How long does licensing take?+
About 60 days on the AGCC's average, with a spread from under a month to over a year. Going live also needs ICS and equipment approvals, so we plan 5-7 months from first call.
Where must the servers be?+
In an AGCC-approved hosting centre, for transactions effected from Alderney or Guernsey; the Category 2 platform has to sit in one. A hosting certificate carries no annual fee.
How are Alderney licensees taxed?+
At 0% company income tax, the standard rate in the Guernsey tax area that includes Alderney, and the annual licence fee is the main charge the AGCC lists. Indirect tax and founder-level outcomes are confirmed per structure.
How do game studios supply Alderney operators?+
Through a core services associate certificate, which approves gambling-specific software such as games for an Alderney licensee. It costs £10,000 a year, and the AGCC counted 4 at the end of 2025.
Alderney or Malta for a B2C operator?+
Malta, if the plan rests on EU markets: an MGA licence carries EU standing and sits in the industry's densest cluster, at €25,000 a year plus contributions. Alderney is quieter, with flat fees and 0% company income tax. Neither reaches Great Britain without a Gambling Commission licence.
Why Prifinance for Alderney?+
We run Alderney files from our St Anne office: the Alderney company and Gazette notice, the Category 1 or 2 application, hosting and ICS approval, and the separate Gambling Commission licence when British players are in the plan.
British players?+
Separate GB licence.
Category 1 vs 2?+
Players vs platform.
Cost?+
£17,500, then £35k+ a year.
Local company?+
Yes - Alderney company.
How long?+
60-day average; 5-7 months.
Servers?+
Approved hosting centre.
Taxes?+
0% CIT; the fee is the charge.
Studios?+
Core services certificate.
Or Malta?+
EU standing vs flat fees.
Why you?+
St Anne office.
Client notes
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Get a free legal opinion on your project - our legal team will analyze your case at no cost and provide a written legal opinion: which jurisdiction, licence scope, or route fits your business.Free legal opinion: whether Category 1, Category 2 or both fit your project, and what Alderney will cost.
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Prifinance is an independent law and advisory firm. We are not a regulator and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC) or any other public authority. Authorisations are granted by, and obtained directly from, the competent authorities.