Antigua and Barbuda Jurisdiction

Antigua and Barbuda is a twin-island nation located in the Eastern Caribbean. It is a former British colony that achieved full independence in 1981. While considered one of the finest tourist destinations in the tropical Caribbean, Antigua and Barbuda has also developed a reputation as a respected center of Caribbean banking and commerce.

This two-island Caribbean nation was one of the first jurisdictions to offer licenses for remote gambling operations, and have been doing so since 1994. The nation's history in the online gambling industry has been riddled with battles against the US for the right to offer online gambling services to US players. Despite these setbacks, the region still maintains a strong reputation as one of the oldest and strongest online gambling licensing jurisdictions in the world.

The licensing and regulation of all aspects of offshore gaming in the jurisdiction of Antigua and Barbuda is handled by the Financial Services Regulatory Commission's Division of Gaming. Antigua and Barbuda was one of the first jurisdictions to license interactive gaming and wagering companies in 1994. The internet gaming companies are classified as “Financial Institutions” and are subject to all the Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) requirements of the jurisdiction.
 
Antigua and Barbuda Licensing

The FSRC Gaming Division awards two types of licenses: interactive gaming (casino games and poker) and interactive wagering (sports betting).

Applicants must provide a non-refundable deposit of USD $15,000 for due diligence plus an additional USD $1,000 per key person.

The annual license fee for interactive gaming is USD $100,000.00 and the annual license fee for interactive wagering is USD $75,000.00. Key person licenses are USD $1,000 the first year, and USD $250 in renewal years. There is an annual USD $5,000 renewal application fee for online gaming and sports betting licenses, with additional charges if investigation fees exceed that amount. There is a monitoring system fee for One Licence - $25,000.00US dollars (per annum) and for Two Licences - $45,000.00US dollars (per annum) for all the gaming and wagering activities.

The jurisdiction of Antigua and Barbuda is also included on the UK Gambling Commission's White List and after the relatively recent legislative changes, Antigua was one of only three non-European Economic Association countries (Isle of Man and Tasmania being the other two but others have since joined and applications are pending) to continue being able to have its operators market and promote their business in the United Kingdom to players here. The inclusion on the UK's White List is a demonstration of the high standards of regulatory enforcement and compliance and standards of consumer protection that operators adhere to in the jurisdiction. The online gaming and gambling sector in the jurisdiction forms a major part of the economy of this tiny island community and the authorities are eager to protect their revenues by ensuring high standards.

 

Financial Services Regulatory Commission's Division of Gaming
2nd Floor - West Wing
First Caribbean Financial Centre
Old Parham Road
St. John's