Why you are suddenly seeing "Anjouan" on casino footers

A few years ago, almost nobody outside the licensing trade had heard of Anjouan. Today it is one of the most common licence claims on offshore casinos that accept UK players. The reason is straightforward: as Curacao replaced its easy master licence system with the tougher CGA framework, a chunk of the operator market went looking for the next light-touch jurisdiction - and Anjouan was ready.

Anjouan is an autonomous island within the Union of the Comoros, off the east coast of Africa. Its gaming licences are issued under the authority established by Anjouan's offshore financial legislation. By 2026 the jurisdiction reports more than 500 licensed operators, which means it has gone from niche curiosity to a genuine pillar of the offshore market.

What an Anjouan B2C licence covers

The headline feature is breadth and speed:

• One licence, multiple verticals. A single B2C licence can cover online casino, sports betting, poker and skill-based games. Operators do not need separate permissions for each.
• Fast approval. Industry sources put the end-to-end timeline at roughly four to eight weeks - far quicker than the UK or Malta, and quicker than the reformed Curacao process.
• Low cost. All-in first-year costs are commonly cited in the region of £15,000 to £16,000 equivalent, and Anjouan does not levy a tax on gross gaming revenue.
• Growing acceptance. More European banks, e-money institutions and major B2B game suppliers now work with Anjouan-licensed operators than did a couple of years ago, which is part of why the jurisdiction has scaled.

The honest assessment for players

This is where balance matters, because the same features that attract operators are the features a player should think carefully about.

The case for taking it seriously

Anjouan is a real, functioning licensing regime with a public licence register. It is not a fictional badge. A legitimate Anjouan licence means an operator has gone through an application, paid real fees and agreed to operate under that jurisdiction's rules. Many well-known, long-running offshore brands hold one.

The case for caution

The flip side of fast, cheap and broad is light. Anjouan's framework is designed to be accessible and does not impose the heavy capital, infrastructure and ongoing-supervision requirements of stricter jurisdictions. For a player, that means an Anjouan licence is a lower bar than a UK licence and, in several respects, a lighter regime than the reformed Curacao CGA model. The dispute-resolution support behind it is also less developed than what UK players are used to.

It is also a popular cover for cloned and fake-licence sites precisely because it is well known. A rogue operator counting on players not checking will happily slap "Licensed in Anjouan" on a footer. That makes verification essential - and we set out exactly how to do it in our guide to verifying an offshore licence is real.

How to read an Anjouan claim

When a casino displays an Anjouan licence, do not stop at the badge. Check that:

• The licence number resolves on Anjouan's own public licence register
• The licensed company name matches the entity actually operating the site (look in the terms and conditions and the footer)
• The licence is current, not expired or revoked
• The site is not simply reusing another operator's licence details

A licence you can confirm independently is worth far more than a logo you cannot.

Where it fits in the 2026 landscape

Anjouan's rise is essentially a market reaction to Curacao's reform. Operators who wanted to keep things light moved; operators willing to meet higher standards stayed with the CGA or went to Malta. Neither path is inherently "good" or "bad" for a player - but the licence tells you something about the operator's priorities, and that is useful intelligence.

The operators we cover on this site, such as Zizobet and Cosmobet, are assessed against the licensing and transparency standards described on our methodology page. We do not list operators whose licence claims we cannot independently confirm.

In summary

• Anjouan is a real offshore licensing jurisdiction, now with 500+ operators
• Its appeal is speed, low cost, broad coverage and no GGR tax
• That same lightness means a lower bar than the UK or reformed Curacao
• Its popularity makes it a favourite for fake-licence sites - always verify

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