A License From the State
The permits are created by national law, Law No. 1822 of 25 June 2026, and issued by the Revenue Service of the Ministry of Finance, not by a private company or a sub-national body.
Gambling Law Art. 7(1), 11(1)
Georgia vs Curaçao, Anjouan, Malta and Other Gambling Licenses
What operators weigh when they choose a license: who stands behind it, whether banks and card schemes will work with it, how long it lasts, how fast it comes and what it costs. Figures from each regulator's own fee schedule or law, read on 24 October 2026.
- State-issued
- by the Revenue Service under national law. Anjouan's regulator was disowned by the Comoros central bank in December 2025.
- 5 years
- permit term. Anjouan and Tobique renew every year.
- 58
- double tax treaties in force. Curaçao has 4.
Gambling License Comparison Table
Government and regulator terms only, in euros. Ranges marked "estimate" are industry estimates where the regulator publishes no timeline.
| License | Issued by | Term | Time to license | Minimum capital | Charge on revenue | Profit tax | Year one, government | On the ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GeorgiaInternational permit | Revenue Service, Ministry of FinanceNational law, 2026 | 5 years | 2 to 4 monthsDecision in 20 days or deemed issued | None | 6% of GGR5% tax plus 1% monitoring | Inside the 5%5% on dividends abroad, lower under treaties | up to €80,800Per vertical | Georgian company, management address and servers |
| CuraçaoLOK license | Curaçao Gaming Authority | IndefiniteWhile fees are paid | 2 to 6 monthsEstimate | None published | None | 15% to 22%Territorial | €52,042All verticals | Local company and director, server in a Curaçao data center |
| Anjouan | Anjouan Gaming, AOFANot recognised by the Comoros central bank | 1 year | 2 to 6 weeksEstimate | None published | None published | Where you incorporate | €17,828Plus an unpublished application fee | Key person and compliance officer |
| MaltaB2C license | Malta Gaming Authority | 10 years | 8 to 20 monthsEstimate | €100,000Casino or betting | 0.4% to 1.25%Casino compliance contribution, minimum €15,000 | 35% headline0% to 10% after refunds, or 15% final | €30,000Plus the contribution | Company in the EEA |
| Isle of Man | Gambling Supervision Commission | 5 years | 10 to 12 weeksRegulator's estimate | None fixed | 0.1% to 1.5%Duty by yield band | 0% | €50,200£42,000 | Two resident directors, servers on the island |
| KahnawakeCPA | Kahnawà:ke Gaming CommissionFirst Nation jurisdiction | Up to 5 yearsAfter a 6-month first term | 4 to 8 weeksTo a 6-month preliminary permit | Security as the Commission decides | None | Where you incorporate | €35,700$40,000 | Hosting in the Kahnawà:ke data center |
| Tobique | Tobique Gaming CommissionFirst Nation jurisdiction, via its appointed agent | 1 year | 2 to 8 weeksAfter pre-approval | Not published | NoneAs quoted by licensing firms | Where you incorporate | about €36,000As quoted by licensing firms | No local entity required |
| Costa Rica | No gambling regulatorMunicipal data processing license | No term | 2 to 4 weeksEstimate | None | NoneHeadcount tax instead | 30%Territorial | No license fee | Local company, resident agent and a resident director |
Georgian fees are set in lari by law; they and the dollar and sterling fees are converted at the National Bank of Georgia rates for 24 October 2026. Georgian control-system charges are caps set by Government Resolution 455 of 2020 as amended; the exact amount is fixed in each operator's contract. Sources are listed at the foot of this page.
Where Georgia Wins
The reasons operators pay for a Georgian permit when cheaper paper exists: a license that banks, card schemes and suppliers can check, in a country with the company, the people and the treaties to run on.
A Regulator Nobody Disowns
On 8 December 2025 the Central Bank of the Comoros said the Anjouan authority is not recognised in the Union of the Comoros and that no online gambling license has been issued there.
Central Bank of the Comoros communiqué, 8 Dec 2025
Card Payments Already Run Here
Georgian-licensed operators take Visa, Mastercard and American Express deposits, with deposit and withdrawal channels at TBC Bank, Bank of Georgia and Liberty Bank.
Adjarabet's published payment rules; NBG payment provider register
Built for Card-Scheme Rules
Visa requires an online gambling merchant to hold a license and its acquirer to take merchants from its own country. A Georgian permit puts the license, the company and a Georgian acquirer in one country.
Visa Core Rules, 18 Apr 2026, 1.5.1.1 and 5.8.18.1
Not Caught by Georgia's Payment Ban
Georgia's 2021 ban on gambling payments covers only foreign gambling companies and payments by Georgian residents, so it does not stop Georgian banks serving a Georgian licensee.
Payments Law Art. 13¹
20 Days or Deemed Issued
Once the platform is certified, the Revenue Service must decide within 20 days, or the permit is deemed issued. Each permit then runs five years.
Law on Licences and Permits Art. 26(10); Gambling Law Art. 11(18)
58 Tax Treaties
Dividends paid abroad carry 5% withholding, cut to 0% under several of Georgia's 58 treaties, including those with Malta, Cyprus and the UAE. Curaçao has 4 treaties, the Isle of Man about 10.
Ministry of Finance treaty list; Tax Code Art. 130
The Talent Is Already Here
Tbilisi is Evolution's largest live-casino hub, with 4,813 staff in Georgia at the end of 2025. Average pay in information and communication was about €1,513 a month in Q2 2026.
Evolution Annual Report 2025; Geostat
No Minimum Capital
Georgian law sets no minimum share capital for a gambling permit. Malta asks €100,000 paid up for casino and betting licenses.
Gambling Law; MGA
Which Gambling License Fits Your Business
The right license depends on where your players are, which banks and payment providers you need, and how long you want the license to last.
Choose Georgia If
You want a license issued by a national tax authority, five years of certainty, a company, bank and team in the same country, and a structure that fits card-scheme rules. It suits operators building a real business in Tbilisi and B2B suppliers who want the 5% International Company regime next to the license.
Get a fixed quoteChoose Curaçao If
You want one license for every vertical, no gaming tax and an indefinite term, and you can meet the local director and server rules.
Choose Anjouan If
Lowest government cost and speed matter most, and you are comfortable with yearly renewal and the dispute over the regulator's standing.
Choose Malta If
You want an EU license with a ten-year term, can put up €100,000 of share capital and can wait a year or more.
Choose the Isle of Man If
You want a five-year license with duty of 1.5% or less and 0% corporate tax, and you can staff two resident directors and host on the island.
Choose Tobique If
You want crypto payments allowed, a license in weeks and no local entity, and you accept yearly renewal through the commission's appointed agent.
Choose Kahnawake If
You want a regulator that has licensed online gaming since 1999, no gaming tax, and you accept hosting in the Kahnawà:ke data center.
Why License With Us
One Tbilisi team for the permit, the company and the books, with the price in writing before you start.
Fixed Fees in Writing
One price for our work, agreed before we start, with every government fee listed next to it.
Six Years Inside the Revenue Service
Our CEO, David Sisvadze, worked at the authority that issues the permits and collects the tax.
License, Tax and Accounting in One Firm
The same team files the permit, the monthly 5% returns and the AML reports.
Gambling License Comparison FAQ
Is a Georgian gambling license better than Curaçao?
It suits a different operator. Curaçao costs €47,450 a year for every vertical with no gaming tax. Georgia charges about €34,400 a year per vertical and 6% of gross gaming revenue, and gives a five-year permit from a national tax authority, a 20-day decision and a company, bank and team in the same country.
What is the cheapest gambling license?
Anjouan, at €17,828 a year in government fees for issuance and again for renewal. The Central Bank of the Comoros said in December 2025 that it does not recognise the issuing authority, which matters to banks and payment providers. Costa Rica issues no gambling license at all.
Which gambling license is best for banking?
One where the license, the company and the acquiring bank sit in the same country, which is what Visa's rules expect. In Georgia, licensed operators already take Visa, Mastercard and American Express through Georgian banks.
Which gambling license is the fastest to get?
Anjouan and Tobique, in weeks by industry estimates. The Isle of Man quotes 10 to 12 weeks, Georgia takes two to four months with a 20-day decision at the end, and Malta eight to 20 months.
Which gambling licenses allow crypto?
Curaçao allows crypto that trades on licensed exchanges, under a June 2026 guideline. Anjouan, Tobique and the Isle of Man allow it too, the Isle of Man under five approved models. Georgia's international permits do not allow crypto deposits today.
How much does a gambling license cost in Georgia?
About €34,400 a year per vertical. In year one add up to about €12,000 for the platform audit and €34,400 for the control system integration, then 5% tax and a 1% monitoring fee on gross gaming revenue every month.
Sources
- Georgia: Law on Licence and Permit Fees, Art. 7(10), 9(2); Law on Organising Lotteries, Games of Chance and Other Prize Games, Art. 7, 11, 12, 19, 20; Tax Code, Art. 98(5), 130; Law on Payment System and Payment Services, Art. 13¹; Law on Licences and Permits, Art. 26(10); Ministry of Finance treaty list; Random Systems Georgia; Geostat earnings by activity, Q2 2026.
- Banking and cards: Adjarabet payment rules; National Bank of Georgia register of payment service providers; Visa Core Rules, 18 April 2026.
- Curaçao: Curaçao Gaming Authority, License Fees under the LOK v2.0 (15 October 2025) and license conditions effective 17 December 2025.
- Anjouan: Anjouan Gaming fees and 2026 license conditions v5; Central Bank of the Comoros communiqué, 8 December 2025.
- Malta: Malta Gaming Authority, remote gaming services; Gaming Authorisations Regulations, reg. 6 and 10.
- Isle of Man: Gambling Supervision Commission, online gambling licence fees (October 2025) and licensing requirements.
- Kahnawake: Kahnawà:ke Gaming Commission, Regulations concerning Interactive Gaming (25 March 2026) and application costs.
- Tobique: Tobique Gaming Commission and its appointed agent; fee amounts as quoted by licensing firms.
- Costa Rica: Law 9050 on casinos and electronic betting call centres, Art. 4 and 6.
- Industry: Evolution Annual Report 2025.
- Exchange rates: National Bank of Georgia, 24 October 2026 (€1 = GEL 2.909, $1 = GEL 2.5971, £1 = GEL 3.4749).
See Your Year-One Budget for Georgia
Tell us your verticals and markets. You get a fixed quote and a first-year budget next to Curaçao and Anjouan, in writing.