Anjouan vs. Curacao Online Casinos 2025
At Online Anjouan Casinos, we provide our readers with information on only the best online casinos operating under valid gambling licenses from Anjouan Gaming. This regulatory body’s register includes countless names, and all of these casinos offer their services to players from multiple countries worldwide. But we understand that sometimes you might want to switch things around, and that’s completely okay. There is a great selection of online casinos operating under other licenses, such as licenses from the Curacao Gaming Control Board. In fact, this regulatory body is often compared to Anjouan, which prompted us to ask—do you know how these two agencies compare? That’s exactly what we are here to discuss today as we review the top features of Anjouan and Curacao online casinos. This guide can help you decide which type of casino is perfect for you, so stick around if you want to learn more!
Understanding Anjouan’s Licensing for Online Casinos
If you’ve not come across the name Anjouan before, you should know that this is actually the name of a volcanic island that is a part of the Comoro Islands. It might not be the most popular tourist destination, but it has turned quite a few heads because it has become popular among online casino gamblers. The island is home to a popular license provider called Anjouan Gaming. This regulatory body oversees the work of many popular casinos and sportsbooks.
Thanks to its licenses, platforms can offer anything from slots and tables to live casino games, bingo, lotteries, sports betting, cyber sports, esports, and more. Compared to some of the most popular regulatory agencies on the market, Anjouan seems to fall behind because its laws and regulations are still quite lenient, and the mandated security features for platforms are limited. However, many companies opt for this license because it has a quick approval process of only a few weeks, low licensing fees, international reach, and crypto support.
Curacao’s Online Casino License Explained
Anjouan is not the only popular regulatory agency for offshore platforms. Long before Anjouan became popular among online casinos, there was the Curacao Gaming Control Board. This regulatory agency has an established reputation as a reliable company overseeing many popular casinos’ work. The reason why gambling companies view Curacao as their go-to licensing body is because the licensing process is straightforward, and the fees are not that high. Still, the security features and player protection measures are higher than those of similar licensing bodies, including Anjouan Gaming.
This makes the platforms much more reliable in the eyes of online casino players, whose sole focus is to be protected when gambling online. With a reputation of over three decades, Curacao can sometimes be outdated in its licensing models and requirements. For example, it’s rare to see licensing bodies offer master licenses for companies, but Curacao does that. In that sense, it might lack at least a minor update to align its offerings with those of other regulatory agencies operating successful casinos.
Key Differences Between Anjouan and Curacao Gambling Licenses
If you are new to the gambling market, you might not know a lot about what these two gambling licenses can bring with them. However, reviewing the key factors and differences between Anjouan and Curacao gambling licenses is vital because they are crucial for your gambling journey. In fact, what is most important is that you always seek licensed platforms to do your gambling. When you have a regulatory body, any of them, overseeing the work of an online casino, you can be sure that the casino adheres to some standard for fair and secure gaming.
Moreover, in case of a dispute or issue with your account, you can contact the regulatory agency and have them help review your case. This is something that would otherwise be impossible. Now that that is clear, we want to tell you what separates these two licenses from one another. Let’s get started with our list of features:
Licensing Body Reputation
The reputation is the first difference between the Anjouan and Curacao regulatory bodies. Generally, Curacao is seen as a more reputable body, having been on the market since 1996. However, its requirements for casinos are quite lenient, so its reputation is still quite low compared to the most reputable bodies on the market, including the UK Gambling Commission, iGaming Ontario, or even the Malta Gaming Authority. Anjouan is quite far from being considered the most reputable licensing agency on the market because it’s quite lenient and recent, so it’s yet to establish itself as a reputable agency for online casinos that players can trust with their time and money.
Licensing Structure
The licensing structure is another big difference between these two regulatory agencies. Namely, Anjouan offers a single license for interested companies, and using this license, the company can open an online casino, sportsbook, or a dual platform offering both options. The license covers all casino games and various sports betting options, eliminating the need for an additional license. With Curacao, companies apply for a master license, and each online casino or sportsbook they open receives a so-called sub-license. This was a model offered by many regulatory agencies back in the day, but it’s no longer considered the best option, so many providers have moved on from it.
Cost of Licensing
The licensing fees are one of the main reasons why so many companies opt for Anjouan licenses over all other regulatory bodies. Anjouan has some of the lowest licensing fees on the market, with a one-year license costing roughly around $20,000. All other fees can be summed up in the renewal fee, which is required annually and is much lower than the original licensing cost. While affordable, Curacao licenses are a bit more expensive than Anjouan licenses and require an initial investment of around $30,000. However, other hidden fees can come outside of this price, namely the costs to open a physical location in Curacao for your company – something that is not needed for Anjouan-licensed casinos.
Speed of Approval
When you opt for an Anjouan license, you can expect the seal of approval to arrive within two to four weeks if you’ve prepared all the documents correctly. This is the shortest approval time on the market, with other licenses reviewing documents and doing due diligence for six months or more. While not as long, the Curacao Gaming Control Board takes more time to view applicants’ documents, so you might have to wait several months before you receive word about the approval or denial of your license.
Technical & Compliance Requirements
The requirements that come with the Anjouan license are very basic. Often, a casino needs to have only some ongoing compliance and technical audits. This makes the platform less reliable for players. Still, it is surely a very attractive option for startups and companies that want to start operating quickly without making many changes to their platforms. With Curacao, the requirements were more lenient in the past, but things have recently changed. Now, casinos must include mandatory compliance, player fund segregation, and responsible gaming protocols. This makes them more secure and suitable for players, which might prompt them to make accounts more often than at Anjouan casinos.
Player Protection Standards
The most important player protection feature is fair play – this ensures that players get their money’s worth when playing at a casino, and there aren’t any high house edges that would turn things in the house’s favor. With Anjouan, you can find some enforcement of such standards, but there can be further improvements to make the casinos more secure. As for Curacao casinos, besides fair play, the license mandates that the casino protects players with dispute resolution and protects their funds with AML practices. While you can often find these measures at Anjouan casinos as well, they are not mandatory, and thus, not all casinos offer them.
KYC / AML Obligations
We’ve briefly mentioned the KYC and AML obligations these two regulatory agencies set for their licensees, but let us give you more information. Anjouan licenses have more limited requirements and thus don’t mandate the use of KYC and AML policies for all casinos. The platforms are free to include them if they want to. As for Curacao licenses, with the latest changes and updates, all casinos must include KYC and AML policies to enhance player safety.
Banking & Payment Processor Acceptance
Considering Anjouan Gaming is quite new to the market, and its reputation is still limited, not all bank providers and payment options want to collaborate with its casinos. Thus, Anjouan casinos usually offer more limited payment methods and opt to focus on cryptocurrencies instead. This is not the case with Curacao, where you can find more payment options. The variety of cryptocurrencies is more limited, but it’s more likely that these casinos offer top-tier financial services that serve users from numerous countries worldwide.
Target Markets
With both these licenses, you can expect the target markets to be unregulated or gray markets. Both Anjouan and Curacao casinos are considered offshore casinos that provide their services in multiple countries. Still, they are usually restricted in some major markets with their own regulatory bodies. Thus, you cannot access these casinos from the UK or the US. Curacao casinos seem slightly more concentrated on EU markets, while Anjouan casinos are geared towards African, Asian, and Latin American countries.
Public Trust & Recognition
Anjouan casinos only recently started receiving more attention from interested gamblers, which is largely because these casinos offer crypto transactions, blockchain technologies, and widespread coverage. However, the trust is still quite low for these casinos, and we recommend testing them closely before you decide to invest large sums. The public trust is slightly higher for Curacao casinos, mainly because this licensing agency has been on the market for longer and recently updated its regulations to protect players further. However, you must check each casino to see if it has a valid license before you actually start funding your account.
Final Thoughts
Whether you opt for Anjouan-licensed or Curacao casinos, the decision relies entirely on your preferences and needs as a casino player. We cannot tell you whether one option or the other is better for you. Curacao tends to be more reliable, but Anjouan’s features fit recent trends and market developments, making them a better option for modern crypto casinos and casino startups. In the end, it’s up to you to consider all of the features we’ve described before and test your preferred casino to learn more about its offerings. That is the only way to learn more information on it. Alternatively, if you choose to focus on Anjouan casinos, visit our website for detailed reviews of the top platforms on the market.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Absolutely. Both licenses allow you to offer all types of games, including slots, tables, live dealer games, instant win games, and more. With an Anjouan gambling license, you can incorporate sports betting onto the same platform.
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At the moment, Curacao is a more reliable platform when it comes to long-term credibility. However, Anjouan has essentially become the go-to licensing body for crypto casinos, so it’s better positioned for crypto-oriented platforms and gamblers.
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Anjouan gambling platforms don’t need a physical presence on the island, but the company applying for the license must be registered in Anjouan. As for Curacao, with the latest developments, companies need a headquarters and a Curacao-registered company to apply and receive a gambling license.