Key Takeaways
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Verify the licence before playing. Checking the seal in the casino's footer isn't enough; visit the public register to confirm the information stated on the casino website.
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Anjouan licensing has limitations. While licensed casinos must meet player protection standards, the licence itself doesn't guarantee successful complaint resolution.
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Know where to turn if something goes wrong. Anjouan Gaming oversees regulatory compliance but doesn't mediate individual player disputes.
What Is Anjouan Gaming Authority?
Anjouan Gaming Authority is a gambling licensing body operating from Anjouan, an island in the Union of the Comoros. It issues and supervises Internet Gaming Licences under the institutional framework established by the Anjouan Offshore Financial Authority and the Anjouan Gaming Board. The licences cover online casino operations, sports betting platforms, poker and card game services, and other permitted gaming verticals as defined in licence conditions.
The Authority operates within; meanwhile, the administration of licences is carried out by Anjouan Licensing Services Inc.
Although it dates back to 2005 and the Computer Gaming Licensing Act 007, current licensing operations began in 2023, when Anjouan Licensing Services Inc. began administering online gambling licences.
Official Resources and Contact Details
- Address: Mutsamudu, Autonomous Island of Anjouan, Union of Comoros
- Email: [email protected] (general inquiries)
- Anjouan License Register
How Does Anjouan Gaming License Online Casinos?
Operators seeking an Anjouan gaming licence must follow a 4-step application process that assesses each applicant against strictly defined criteria. Each stage must be completed fully and adequately before proceeding to the next.
- Submitting application documents. An aspiring operator submits mandatory documents, application forms and supporting documentation to the Authority.
- Applicant information review. The Authority reviews the documentation and contacts applicants if further clarification or additional documents are needed.
- Due diligence. The Authority conducts regulatory due diligence procedures (corporate structure review, key person assessment, source of funds, sanctions).
- Obtaining the licence. Once all stages are completed, the Authority issues the requested Internet Gaming Licence, and it becomes visible in the public licensee register.
Timelines for approving an application vary, and the Gaming Authority doesn’t explicitly state a range on its website. Applicants also agree to submit any additional documents required during the process.
What Does an Anjouan Gaming Licence Mean for Players?
Licensed operators must provide fair, transparent, and responsible gaming services; maintain player protection measures; and interact with players honestly, with clear disclosure of terms, conditions, and risks.
What the Licence Requires Operators to Provide
The following are the requirements imposed on Anjouan licensees:
- Verifiable licensing information
- Truthful advertising
- Responsible gambling information and tools
- Age verification and KYC
- Transparent game information and clear terms and conditions
- Player fund protection
- Secure handling of player personal data and financial information
- Complaint handling procedures.
What the Licence Doesn't Cover
Some areas, however, fall out of scope of the Anjouan Gaming Authority:
- Intervening in individual player disputes
- Guaranteeing reimbursement of player funds
- Granting permission to operate worldwide; the Anjouan licence does not override national gambling laws, and separate licences may be needed to legally serve players in highly regulated markets (e.g. UK, Germany, the Netherlands)
- Offering protection for players in excluded territories
- Offering a centralised self-exclusion system
- Offering direct responsible gambling support
- Guaranteeing complaint outcomes
- Guaranteeing public disclosure of enforcement outcomes
- Guaranteeing access to banking or payment services.
Does the Licence Apply to Players in My Country?
Whether you can legally play at an Anjouan-licensed casino depends on your country's gambling laws, as some jurisdictions allow residents to access offshore gambling sites. In contrast, others require operators to obtain a local licence or prohibit unlicensed gambling services altogether.
As a rule of thumb, Anjouan-licensed sites aren’t available to players in Australia, Austria, Comoros, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The list may be longer, however, depending on the operator.
Please note that accepting players from your country and being legally authorised to serve them is not the same. Explore our directory of casinos by country to narrow down your choice of gambling platforms available in your jurisdiction.
How to Check an Anjouan Casino Licence
To make sure the casino has indeed obtained or renewed the Anjouan licence:
- Visit the casino website and scroll down to the footer.
- Find the Anjouan Gaming seal and click on it.
- A validation page should open in a new window.
- If valid, the licence status will appear in green.
The seal in the footer, along with other licensing information (e.g. company name and number, physical address, licence number), is required; however, it’s not always proof of a valid licence.
The surefire way is to go to the License Register and find the specific casino you’re interested in, including the company name, licence number, and website URL.
What to Do If You Can't Verify the Licence
If the Anjouan seal in the footer isn’t clickable or doesn’t return the stated licence information or status, you can check it directly in the public Licensee Register.
Alternatively, you can contact customer service and ask for this information before depositing money.
How AskGamblers Verifies Anjouan Licensed Casinos
Our editorial guidelines contain clear instructions on how we check whether a casino’s Anjouan licence is valid.
The first step is to look for the Anjouan seal in the website footer. Once I confirm the seal works (is clickable) and shows a valid status, I check the full operator information in Anjouan Gaming’s public registry, including the owner, the website(s) URLs, and the number under which the license was issued.
Additionally, I take time to explore the company and check whether it’s truly located where it claims to be.
If all of the information checks out, the casino is considered licensed and can be added to AskGamblers online casino database.
How to Submit a Complaint About an Anjouan Licensed Casino
Although the Anjouan Gaming Authority has a player complaint procedure in place, the scope of complaints is limited to regulatory oversight, that is, monitoring whether an operator is meeting their obligations, including the obligation to offer a functional complaints process via one of the regulator-approved Alternative Resolution Dispute (ADR) mechanisms.
In other words, Anjouan Gaming doesn’t deal with payment disputes, technical issues, or any type of general and bonus terms violations.
How to Submit a Complaint to Anjouan Gaming: Step by Step
Here’s a step-by-step process for filing a complaint to Anjouan Gaming;
- All complaints to the regulator must be submitted via the regulator's contact form.
- From the available departments, choose Compliance & Enforcement and fill out the form;
- Enter your first and last name, email, and phone number, and describe the issue you believe amounts to a regulatory breach in line with regulatory compliance guidelines.
Remember that the Authority doesn’t act as a mediator for individual player disputes; its role is limited to setting the regulatory process and overseeing licence compliance.
Other Ways to Get Help
If you fail to resolve a complaint with a casino, contact our AskGamblers Casino Complaint Service (AGCCS). We’ve been working as a mediator between players and casinos since 2009, returning over $92 million to players in total.
The AGCCS is an independent service offered by AskGamblers, not an official regulator or an extension of the MGA. Before submitting an official complaint, review our complaint guidelines.
Responsible Gambling Rules for Anjouan Licensed Casinos
As per Anjouan Gaming’s responsible gambling guidelines, all operators are required to offer self-exclusion mechanisms (restricting or closing access to gaming services), age verification procedures (prohibiting gambling under the age of 18, 19, or 21 depending on the jurisdiction), clear and accessible information on safer gaming and available support services, and advertising standards that prevent the operator from targeting minors or persons who belong to vulnerable groups.
Note that some Anjouan casinos offer only the self-exclusion tool, since it’s the only mandatory feature. When looking for a new casino, try to find sites with a strong commitment to responsible gambling and a broader set of safer gambling features.