B2C and platform operators choose Alderney for an established Channel Islands regulator, financial ratios in place of fixed capital and associate certificates for groups based elsewhere.
Selected engagements from more than 250 licences obtained since 2013, for payment, e-money, cryptoasset and consumer credit firms.
Volkswagen
Payment InstitutionObtained Nexpay’s FCA Authorised Payment Institution licence.
Electronic Money InstitutionObtained Dzing Finance’s FCA Authorised Electronic Money Institution licence.
Obtained Orbital’s FCA Authorised Payment Institution licence.
Our realistic timeline from submission, set against the regulator’s own published figures.
Acquiring and payment processing arranged alongside the application, so you take deposits from go-live.
Candidates introduced for senior managers holding key individual certificates, each assessed against the regulator’s standard.
A reply within three business hours and a written proposal the same day: the licence, the requirements, the cost and the timing.
You will need senior managers who each hold a key individual certificate, with the Commission checking each one with the police and other regulators.
One engagement and one timetable, from scoping to launch. Speak to an expert about the people, the banking and the technology for this licence.
The regulator’s requirements, capital, timing, fees and the questions firms ask, from the regulator’s own publications.
An operator organising and preparing gambling operations for players, including player registration, the player contract and the management of player funds, needs a Category 1 licence; an operator effecting the gambling transaction, including operational management of a gambling platform located in an approved hosting centre, needs a Category 2 licence. Providers of core services such as games and gaming software to an Alderney licensee hold a core services associate certificate. Operators outside the Bailiwick may hold Category 1 or Category 2 associate certificates without forming an Alderney company. Alderney eGambling Limited is the first point of contact for new enquiries; the Commission itself does not advise applicants.
| Licence or certificate | Holder | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Category 1 eGambling licence | B2C operators: player registration, contract and funds | £17,500 first year for a new licensee, then £35,000 to £400,000 by net gaming yield |
| Category 2 eGambling licence | B2B platform operators in an approved hosting centre | £17,500 first year for a new licensee, then £35,000 |
| Category 1 associate certificate | Operators based outside the Bailiwick | £35,000 first year, then £50,000 plus the Category 1 band fee |
| Category 2 associate certificate | Platform operators based outside the Bailiwick | £35,000 first year, then £50,000 |
| Core services associate certificate | Suppliers of gambling software, player fund deposits and company management to a licensee | £10,000 a year |
| Temporary eGambling licence | Short-term operation; not available to an Alderney company | £10,000 |
| Hosting certificate | Premises holding gambling equipment on Guernsey | Nil; £5,000 deposit |
| Key individual certificate | Managers and persons of significant influence | £1,000 deposit |
| Requirement | Amount |
|---|---|
| Minimum share capital | None fixed |
| Cash | Must exceed player balances at all times |
| Current assets | Must exceed current liabilities at all times |
| Total assets | Must exceed total liabilities by at least 25% at all times |
| Initial capitalisation | Documentary evidence before launch |
The ratios in regulation 243 replace a fixed capital figure and are tested throughout the life of the licence.
| Figure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Statutory decision period | No fixed determination period; 14 days to respond to objection enquiries, at least 14 days’ notice of a hearing, 7 days to answer a further-information notice, and an application lapses where a required step is not taken for three months | Alderney eGambling Regulations 2009, regulations 23, 25 and 28 |
| Regulator’s published figure | About 60 days, about 2 months, on average from receipt to suitability approval; about 70 days for internal control system approval; live activation routinely achievable within 6 months of the initial application | AGCC, how long does the application process take |
| Application preparation | 6 to 8 weeks | From instruction to submission, including banking in parallel |
| Our realistic timeline | 2 to 3 months to the licence, with live activation within 6 months of the initial application | The firm’s own figure, from the regulator’s published data and its own applications |
Figures published by the regulator are quoted as published and converted to months. The realistic timeline is the firm’s own, for a complete, well-prepared application.
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Investigation deposit | £10,000 | On application; charged against actual Commission costs, balance refunded |
| Category 1 licence, first year | £17,500 | New licensee with no prior Alderney Category 1 activity; otherwise £35,000 |
| Category 1 licence, annual | £35,000–£400,000 | Band A under £500,000 net gaming yield £35,000; B to £1 million £60,000; C to £5 million £80,000; D to £7.5 million £130,000; E to £20 million £200,000; F to £30 million £290,000; G £30 million or more £400,000; plus £3,000 per associate |
| Category 2 licence | £35,000 | £17,500 in the first year for a new licensee; plus £3,000 per associate |
| Key individual certificate | £1,000 | Deposit |
| Internal control system approval | £10,000 | Deposit; £5,000 for changes; £5,000 for equipment approval; £7,500 for inspections |
| Commission time | £75–£300 per hour | Staff; agents £65 to £250 per hour |
| Professional fees | Fixed, in writing | Quoted after scoping |
Alderney eGambling Limited, the States of Alderney body that handles new enquiries, states 0% gaming duty, a 0% standard rate of corporation tax and 0% VAT. The Commission’s own pages contain no tax statement; Guernsey income tax law applies to the operator’s structure.
The Commission’s pages set no list of permitted target markets; the position for each market is agreed with the Commission before launch. Operators serving Great Britain hold a Gambling Commission licence alongside. Associate certificates allow an operator based outside the Bailiwick to work with an Alderney licensee without forming an Alderney company; the firm obtains each licence and certificate in the group’s structure.
The AGCC states what determines the time an application takes and what it assesses.
A Category 1 licensee needs acquiring, alternative payment methods and accounts for player funds that keep cash above player balances at all times; player fund deposit services from a third party are themselves certificated. The firm arranges acquiring and player-funds accounts through institutions that accept the sector, during the application, with the compliance framework prepared to their standard. See banking and payment processing.
The AGCC publishes an average of about 60 days from receipt to suitability approval, about 70 days for internal control system approval and states that live activation is routinely achievable within six months of the initial application. The firm plans for two to three months to the licence and live activation within six months.
A £10,000 investigation deposit, £17,500 in the first year for a new licensee, then £35,000 to £400,000 a year for Category 1 by net gaming yield and £35,000 for Category 2, plus £3,000 per associate.
No fixed figure. Cash must exceed player balances, current assets must exceed current liabilities and total assets must exceed total liabilities by at least 25%, at all times, with evidence of capitalisation before launch.
Yes for a Category 1 or Category 2 licence. Operators based outside the Bailiwick may instead hold a Category 1 or Category 2 associate certificate alongside an Alderney licensee.
Alderney eGambling Limited states 0% gaming duty, 0% standard corporation tax and 0% VAT; the Commission’s own pages make no tax statement, and Guernsey income tax law applies to the operator’s structure.
A regulatory advisory firm to payment, e-money and cryptoasset companies since 2013, with more than 250 licences obtained in more than 60 countries. The firm advises on authorisation, compliance, safeguarding, banking and transactions, and builds the white-label payment and card technology its clients launch on.
A written proposal on cost, timing and requirements, the same day: speak to an expert.
This guide is general information for firms considering authorisation and is reviewed against the regulator’s published requirements. It is not legal advice; requirements and fees change, and the regulator’s current publications take precedence.
The requirements, the cost and the timing for your business, in a written proposal the same day.