An online casino license costs about $150,000 to several million dollars in US states, CAD 100,000 per site a year in Ontario, and roughly €17,000 (Anjouan quotes) to €52,000 (Curaçao) in year-one fees offshore, with Malta at €30,000 plus a revenue-based contribution. Approval takes a few weeks to about a year; gaming taxes and setup costs are extra.
This guide is for founders, operators and studios in the US, Canada and worldwide budgeting a license before scoping a casino platform. It uses official fee schedules where published. It is general information, not legal advice; confirm figures with the regulator or gaming counsel.
What is an online casino license, and what does the cost include?
An online casino license (or iGaming license) is a regulator’s authorization for a company to offer real-money casino games online. Operators need a B2C license; platform and game suppliers often need a B2B or supplier license. An offshore license does not replace the local license or registration that US states, Ontario and other regulated markets require.
Published costs disagree because they mix four layers:
- Regulator fees: application, annual and supervision fees, plus per-domain and key-person charges.
- Gaming tax or revenue share: a percentage of gross gaming revenue (GGR).
- Setup and substance: the company, a local office and key persons, share capital, legal and compliance staff.
- Technical compliance: lab certification of games and RNGs, platform audits, and KYC, AML and geolocation services.
The tables below cover the first two layers; treat all-in figures as estimates.
Online casino license cost by jurisdiction
| Jurisdiction (regulator) | Application or initial fees | Recurring fees | Gaming tax or revenue share | Typical timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curaçao (Curaçao Gaming Authority) | €4,592 plus per-person fees | €47,450 a year (€24,490 license + €22,960 supervisory); €250 per extra domain | No GGR-based gaming tax | Up to 24 weeks after a complete application; expect delays while the CGA replaces its portal |
| Malta (Malta Gaming Authority) | €5,000 | €25,000 fixed fee plus compliance contribution (Type 1: €15,000 to €375,000) | 15% (Type 1) or 10% on revenue from Malta players, from October 1, 2026 | About 4–6 months (industry estimate; can run longer) |
| Isle of Man (Gambling Supervision Commission) | £5,250 | £36,750 a year (five-year license) | 1.5% of yield up to £20 million, then 0.5% and 0.1% | About 10–12 weeks after acceptance, ending in a formal hearing |
| Kahnawake (Kahnawake Gaming Commission) | US$40,000, including the first annual fee and one Key Person Permit | US$20,000 a year for up to six domains; US$1,000 per Key Person | None reported | Not published |
| Anjouan (Union of the Comoros) | No official schedule verified; quotes about €17,000–€18,000, some up to US$50,000 | Renewal quoted at €13,300–€17,828 | None reported | A few weeks to about 4 months (quotes) |
| Ontario (AGCO and iGaming Ontario) | Non-refundable registration fee plus any investigation costs | CAD 100,000 per site per year (one- or two-year terms) | iGaming Ontario retains a share of gaming revenue, reported as 20% | About 2–3 months or more (industry estimates) |
| US states (state regulators) | About $150,000 (Michigan) to several million dollars (Pennsylvania) | Annual or five-year renewals | 15% (West Virginia) to 54% (Pennsylvania online slots) | About 4–12 months (industry estimates), usually via a partner |
Figures exclude VAT, legal and setup costs, and can change by decree; Curaçao’s fees, for example, may be indexed to inflation each year.
Curaçao: about €52,000 in year one under the LOK
Curaçao’s National Ordinance on Games of Chance (LOK), in force since December 24, 2024, replaced master and sub-licenses with direct licenses from the Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA). A B2C license costs €4,592 to apply plus per-person fees, then €47,450 a year (€24,490 to the National Treasury and €22,960 to the CGA), so year one is about €52,000. A B2B supplier license costs €4,592 plus €24,490 a year. Review runs in two phases and can take up to 24 weeks from a complete application. Licensees need a registered office in Curaçao; the wider local substance requirement in Article 5.12 of the LOK (such as locally resident key roles and a local office) was deferred by a ministerial extension announced in January 2026 and does not have to be met before April 1, 2027, so budget for it now.
Portal closure: after disclosing in September 2026 that its licensing portal had been accessed without authorization from December 2025, the CGA said on October 7, 2026 that the portal will not return to service. Existing licenses stay valid, portal submission deadlines are postponed and an interim process is being set up, so expect delays on new applications.
Malta (MGA): €30,000 in fixed fees plus a revenue-based contribution
The MGA charges €5,000 to apply and a €25,000 fixed annual fee for a B2C license. A monthly compliance contribution is added on gaming revenue; for Type 1 games (games of chance against the house, such as slots) it runs from a €15,000 minimum to a €375,000 maximum a year. Qualifying start-ups can get a 12-month moratorium on contributions, and Type 1 licensees need €100,000 in paid-up share capital.
From October 1, 2026, Legal Notice 84 of 2026 set gaming tax at 15% for Type 1 and 10% for Types 2 to 4, charged on gaming revenue from players based in Malta. B2B supply licenses pay a €25,000 fixed fee up to €5 million in revenue.
Isle of Man: £42,000 in year-one fees
The Gambling Supervision Commission charges £5,250 to apply and £36,750 a year for a full online gambling license with a five-year initial term. Duty is 1.5% of gross gaming yield up to £20 million, 0.5% up to £40 million and 0.1% above that. Processing typically takes 10 to 12 weeks after the application is accepted, with a formal hearing about 12 weeks after acceptance.
Kahnawake: US$40,000 to apply, US$20,000 a year
The Kahnawake Gaming Commission, in the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake, Quebec, licenses operators through a Client Provider Authorization (CPA). The US$40,000 application covers due diligence, the first annual fee (refunded if the application is refused) and one Key Person Permit; extra Key Persons cost US$5,000 each. After that the CPA costs US$20,000 a year for up to six domains (US$500 per extra domain), plus US$1,000 per Key Person and US$5,000 every five years to renew. Licensed sites are hosted through Mohawk Internet Technologies, the Interactive Gaming License holder; the Commission bills its assessment of your Control System Submission separately, and it publishes no standard processing time.
Anjouan: the lowest quotes and the least published detail
Anjouan, an island of the Union of the Comoros, issues online gaming licenses. We could not verify an official fee schedule: agent quotes put year one at about €17,000 to €18,000, with renewals of €13,300 to €17,828, while other guides quote US$25,000 to US$50,000. Quoted timelines run from a few weeks to about four months. Confirm that your processors, game providers and target markets accept the license, and ask what each quote includes.
Ontario: CAD 100,000 per site plus a revenue share
Ontario runs a regulated open iGaming market. Operators register each gaming site with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) for a non-refundable CAD 100,000 per site per year, on a one- or two-year term, plus any investigation costs, and submit a compliance gap analysis and an independently audited assessment of controls. They also sign an agreement with iGaming Ontario, which is reported to retain 20% of gaming revenue and remit 80% to the operator; the agreement itself is not public. Industry guides suggest allowing two to three months or more once the application is complete. Elsewhere in Canada, provinces conduct and manage online gaming through their lottery and gaming corporations under section 207 of the Criminal Code, so check each province’s current model.
How much does an online casino license cost in the US?
There is no federal online casino license. Real-money online casino is legal in a handful of states: New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia, Connecticut, Delaware and Rhode Island. Maine legalized it in 2026 (LD 1164, exclusive to the four Wabanaki Nations); confirm that its rules are final and sites are live before planning around it. Most states tie the license to an existing casino, tribal or lottery licensee, so new brands usually enter through a partner and hold their own vendor or operator license.
| State | Key license fees | Tax on online casino revenue | Who holds the license |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $400,000 initial permit, then $250,000 a year plus a $250,000 responsible gaming fee | 19.75% since July 1, 2025, plus 2.5% CRDA | Atlantic City casinos; brands and platforms hold a CSIE license |
| Pennsylvania | $10 million for all three interactive categories (2018 window) or $4 million each; $1 million operator license | 54% on online slots; 16% on tables and poker (including a 2% local share) | Slot machine licensees and qualified gaming entities, with licensed operators |
| Michigan | $50,000 application, $100,000 initial license, $50,000 a year | 20% to 28%, graduated | Detroit’s three commercial casinos and federally recognized tribes; platforms hold supplier licenses |
| West Virginia | $250,000 per five years, $100,000 to renew; suppliers $10,000 a year | 15% | The five state casinos and their online partners |
| Maine | Rules still in progress | About 18% | Four Wabanaki Nations, one platform partner each |
Connecticut, Delaware and Rhode Island work through a small number of existing licensees, so ask the state regulator which routes are open to a new brand. This is general information, not legal advice; state fees and tax rates change, so confirm them with the regulator and US gaming counsel.
Outside these states, some US founders use the sweepstakes model, which runs under sweepstakes law with dual currencies and a free alternative method of entry instead of a gaming license; a growing list of states restrict it. See our sweepstakes casino software development service and our overview of real-money games in the USA.
Other markets: UK, Brazil, India and beyond
Great Britain’s Gambling Commission sets application and annual fees by fee category, based on gross gambling yield, and Remote Gaming Duty rose from 21% to 40% of profits on April 1, 2026. An offshore license does not authorize taking players from markets that license gambling locally, such as Great Britain, regulated US states and Ontario, or from markets that prohibit it.
Brazil: not open. Provisional Measure 1.394/2026 prohibited fixed-odds betting, including sports betting and online games, across Brazil from 25 September 2026. It bars new authorizations, ends the existing BRL 30 million, five-year authorizations 30 days after publication without a refund, and required betting sites and apps to go offline within 10 days of publication. The measure is being challenged at the Supreme Federal Court (STF), and Congress has 60 days from publication, extendable once by 60 days, to convert it into law, or it lapses. General information, not legal advice; see the text of Provisional Measure 1.394/2026.
India’s Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 prohibits online money games, so for Indian audiences Capermint builds free-to-play, social and e-sports formats such as social casino games. Across the EU, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific, rules differ by country, so take local legal advice.
Curaçao vs Anjouan vs Malta: how do the costs compare?
Of the three, Anjouan has the lowest quoted fees but the least published detail, and Curaçao costs about €52,000 in year one with no GGR-based tax. Malta’s year-one fixed fees (€30,000) are lower than Curaçao’s, but its compliance contribution grows with revenue (a €15,000 minimum for Type 1), Type 1 needs €100,000 in share capital, and Malta-player revenue is taxed at 15%. Before comparing totals, run each option through these checks:
- Start from your players. The license must cover where they are; US states, Ontario and Great Britain need their own, and Brazil currently prohibits online betting and casino games.
- Check partner acceptance. Ask processors and game providers which licenses they accept.
- Compare three-year cost. Add tax at your projected GGR: Malta’s 15% touches only Malta players, while Ontario’s reported 20% share applies to all Ontario revenue.
- Match the timeline to your launch. Curaçao applicants should allow for the CGA portal transition.
- Budget substance. Capital, office and key persons can exceed the fees.
Which license fits your business model, from white-label to fully owned, is covered in our guide on how to start an online casino business; this section compares cost only.
What else to budget beyond the license fee
| Cost item | Why you need it | How it is usually priced |
|---|---|---|
| Company and local substance | Regulators license a defined entity with named key persons | Setup plus annual corporate and office costs |
| Share capital or reserves | Some regulators set a minimum, such as €100,000 for MGA Type 1 | Capital held, not spent |
| Legal and compliance staff | Application documents, AML policy, compliance officer | Fixed fee or retainer, plus salaries |
| Game, RNG and platform testing | Lab certification and audits; Ontario asks for penetration tests | Per game or per audit |
| KYC, AML and geolocation | Identity, age, sanctions and location checks | Per check |
| Payments and hosting | Processors underwrite licensed gaming; some licenses set server location | Per transaction plus reserves; monthly hosting |
Our explainer on RNG certificates covers lab testing, and our online casino development cost guide covers the platform budget.
How long does it take to get an online casino license?
From a few weeks for Anjouan (agent quotes) to up to 24 weeks after a complete Curaçao application, about 10–12 weeks after acceptance in the Isle of Man and about 4–6 months in Malta (industry estimate); US states take roughly four to twelve months. Run licensing, banking and the platform in parallel: Capermint’s published launch time for a white-label or turnkey build is 6–10 weeks, so start the license application first.
How to apply for an online casino license: 8 steps
This is a general outline, not legal advice; each regulator sets its own forms and order of steps.
- Choose target markets and the license each one requires.
- Shortlist jurisdictions by fees, tax, timeline and partner acceptance.
- Form the company with its local office, key persons and any minimum capital.
- Prepare disclosures for directors, beneficial owners and key persons.
- Write policies for AML, responsible gaming, terms, complaints and data protection.
- Prepare the technical file: platform architecture, game and RNG certificates, and documents such as Kahnawake’s control system submission or Ontario’s gap analysis against the Registrar’s Standards.
- File and pay, then answer the regulator’s questions.
- Go live and stay compliant: get domains, games and payment methods approved, report regularly and renew on time.
How your license shapes the casino platform
The license sets your platform’s technical rules, from KYC, geolocation and responsible gaming limits to reporting, game certification and sometimes server location, so choose it before you lock the architecture. To compare build routes, see online casino software, white label casino software and turnkey casino solutions. Crypto-first operators, many of whom license offshore, can start with crypto casino software.
How Capermint helps operators preparing a license application
Capermint Technologies is a game development company founded in 2014 in Ahmedabad, India, with over 200 specialists and, Capermint-reported, 650+ customers worldwide. We do not issue or sell gaming licenses: operators are responsible for licensing, and we build to the technical requirements of the target jurisdiction, from wallet, KYC and geolocation to responsible gaming tools and reporting. We build RNG and game math ready for independent testing by accredited labs such as GLI, iTech Labs or BMM; certification is obtained by the operator or game owner.
Capermint’s published platform price bands are $10K–$40K for a single-game MVP, $35K–$120K for white-label or turnkey (6–10 week launch), $60K–$180K custom single-vertical and $200K–$500K+ custom multi-vertical, with final quotes after a scoping call. We schedule calls in US and Canadian business hours. See our iGaming portfolio.
FAQs
How much does an online casino license cost?
Year-one regulator fees run from about €17,000 in Anjouan (agent quotes) to about €52,000 in Curaçao, with Kahnawake (US$40,000) and the Isle of Man (£42,000) in between. Malta costs €30,000 plus a revenue-based contribution, Ontario CAD 100,000 per site a year, and US states about $150,000 to millions. Taxes and setup costs come on top.
What is the cheapest online casino license?
On regulator fees alone, Anjouan is usually quoted lowest, at about €17,000 to €18,000 in year one, although we could not verify an official fee schedule. Kahnawake and the Isle of Man sit in the middle. Low fees can still mean high total costs, so check which processors, game providers and markets accept the license first.
How much does a Curaçao gaming license cost?
Under the LOK, a B2C online casino license costs €4,592 to apply plus per-person fees, then €47,450 a year: €24,490 to the National Treasury and €22,960 to the Curaçao Gaming Authority. Year one is roughly €52,000 before company and staff costs. In October 2026 the CGA said its licensing portal will not return to service, so expect delays.
What does an Anjouan gaming license cost and how long does it take?
We could not verify an official Anjouan fee schedule. Agent quotes put year one at about €17,000 to €18,000, with renewals of roughly €13,300 to €17,828, while other guides quote US$25,000 to US$50,000. Quoted timelines range from a few weeks to about four months, so ask exactly what each quote includes.
How much does a Malta (MGA) license cost?
The MGA charges €5,000 to apply and a €25,000 fixed annual fee, plus a compliance contribution on revenue of €15,000 to €375,000 a year for Type 1 casino games. Type 1 licensees need €100,000 in share capital. From October 1, 2026, gaming tax is 15% on Type 1 revenue from Malta players.
How much does an online casino license cost in the US?
It depends on the state, and new brands usually enter through a casino, tribal or lottery partner. Michigan charges $50,000 to apply, $100,000 for the initial license and $50,000 a year. New Jersey’s permit costs $400,000, then $500,000 a year in fees. Taxes run from 15% in West Virginia to 54% on Pennsylvania online slots.
How much does it cost to run an online casino in Ontario?
Each gaming site needs AGCO registration at a non-refundable CAD 100,000 a year, plus any investigation costs. Operators also sign an agreement with iGaming Ontario, which is reported to retain 20% of gaming revenue; the agreement is not public. Industry guides suggest allowing two to three months or more once the application is complete.
How long does it take to get an online casino license?
From a few weeks for Anjouan (agent quotes) to up to 24 weeks after a complete Curaçao application, about 10 to 12 weeks after acceptance in the Isle of Man and about 4 to 6 months in Malta (industry estimate). US states take roughly 4 to 12 months. Curaçao applicants face extra delays while the CGA replaces its portal.
What is an iGaming license?
An iGaming license is a regulator’s authorization for a company to offer real-money online gambling, such as casino games, poker or sports betting, in the markets it covers. Operators hold B2C licenses; suppliers often need B2B licenses. The license also sets the platform’s technical rules, from KYC to game certification.
Does Capermint provide or apply for the gaming license?
No. Capermint is a software development studio and does not issue or sell gaming licenses; operators are responsible for licensing. We build the casino platform to the technical requirements of your target jurisdiction, with RNG and game math ready for testing by accredited labs such as GLI, iTech Labs or BMM.
Sources
- CGA: platform transition notice, October 7, 2026
- CGA: portal notice, October 2, 2026
- Legal500: Curaçao gambling guide
- Curaçao Chronicle: licence fees, February 2025
- CGA: postponement of local substance requirement, January 23, 2026
- CGA: unauthorized access to online gaming portal, September 17, 2026
- CGA: follow-up on unauthorized access, September 22, 2026
- DeucesCracked: license costs by jurisdiction, September 2026
- MGA: licence fees and taxation
- KPMG Malta: gaming tax from October 1, 2026
- Appleby: Isle of Man gambling law 2026 (December 2025)
- KGC: interactive fees schedule
- KGC: CPA application guide
- KGC: domain fee notice, April 2025
- Track360: license costs compared, July 2026
- Track360: Anjouan license, May 2026
- AGCO: become an igaming operator
- AGCO: Internet Gaming Operator Application Guide
- GamblingMaps: Ontario licensing, updated October 9, 2026
- Criminal Code (Canada), s. 207
- New Jersey DGE: fee schedule
- GamblingMaps: New Jersey licensing, July 2026
- Fox Rothschild: Pennsylvania Act 42 highlights
- PGCB: January 2026 revenue report
- GamblingMaps: Michigan licensing, July 2026
- iGaming Business: West Virginia iGaming law, March 2019
- Action Network: Maine status, updated July 24, 2026
- DeucesCracked: Maine eighth state, June 2026
- GOV.UK: changes to gambling duties, November 26, 2025
- UK Gambling Commission: annual fees
- PRS India: Online Gaming Bill, 2025
- Ministry of Finance (SPA): Provisional Measure 1.394/2026 and the new rules for fixed-odds betting
- National Congress: MPV 1.394/2026 status
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