Alderney gambling & gaming license: requirements, costs, and how to apply in 2026

The Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC) is the independent regulatory body responsible for licensing and supervising all eGambling operations authorized under Alderney law. It was established in 2000 under the Gambling (Alderney) Law 1999 and operates under the Alderney eGambling Ordinance 2009. The Commission is entirely separate from the UK Gambling Commission and has no jurisdictional overlap with it. The AGCC currently supervises all active licensees and assigns a dedicated case officer to each application.

The initial fee for a Category 1 eGambling licence is 35,000 GBP for most new applicants, or 17,500 GBP in the first year for applicants with no prior licensed activity in Alderney. Annual renewal fees are based on Net Gaming Yield (NGY): the floor is 35,000 GBP (for NGY under 500,000 GBP), rising to 400,000 GBP for operators with NGY above 30,000,000 GBP. Category 2 associate certificates renew at 50,000 GBP per year, flat rate. A 10,000 GBP investigation deposit is required at the time of application and is drawn against actual investigation costs. The full NGY fee band table is set out above in the fees section.

Category 1 eGambling licences and Category 1 associate certificates typically take 4 to 6 months from formal submission to AGCC determination, assuming complete documentation and responsive key individuals. The investigation period itself is 4 to 12 weeks; the remainder is company formation, AML program preparation, and ICS documentation. Category 2 associate certificates for B2B gaming suppliers process faster because they do not require Alderney company formation and carry fewer customer-protection documentation requirements. Pre-application engagement with the assigned case officer is available before formal submission and can reduce delays during the investigation phase.

For a Category 1 or Category 2 eGambling licence, yes. Both can only be held by a company incorporated under the Companies (Alderney) Law 1994. Foreign entities cannot hold these licences. For Category 1 and Category 2 associate certificates, no Alderney company is required. A Category 1 associate certificate holder (B2C foreign company) must instead maintain a resident representative based in the Bailiwick of Guernsey. A Category 2 associate certificate holder (B2B foreign company) has no local presence requirement.

An Alderney-licensed operator can advertise gambling services to UK consumers provided it complies with UK advertising rules: the ASA, the CAP Code, and applicable requirements on age-gating, responsible gambling messaging, and prohibited ad content. This advertising access is a genuine commercial advantage over operators in gray-listed or less-recognized jurisdictions. However, advertising access is not market access. To accept deposits from UK customers, a separate UK Gambling Commission licence is required. Operators targeting the UK commercially will need both the AGCC authorization and a UKGC licence.

A Temporary eGambling Licence is an authorization that allows a foreign company holding a valid gambling licence in another jurisdiction to operate under Alderney law for a limited period. It is designed primarily for disaster recovery situations where the operator’s primary licensed operations are interrupted, and secondarily for market testing before committing to full Alderney company formation. The operational limits are 29 consecutive days, or 59 cumulative days within any 6-month period. Once either limit is reached, the holder must incorporate an Alderney company and apply for full Category 1 and/or Category 2 licences. Annual fee: 10,000 GBP.

No. They are entirely separate authorizations issued by separate regulatory bodies with no jurisdictional overlap. An Alderney gambling license authorizes the holder to operate eGambling under Alderney law. A UKGC licence authorizes the holder to offer gambling to customers in Great Britain. An Alderney-licensed operator may advertise to UK consumers under ASA/CAP rules, but must hold a UKGC licence to accept UK customer deposits. Some operators hold both: the Alderney licence covers international markets, and the UKGC licence covers the UK specifically.

Renewal fees are due in advance of each anniversary of the date of validity on the licence. For Category 1 licensees, the renewal fee is calculated from the annualised NGY reported in the most recent quarterly management accounts. If the annualised NGY falls within 10% of a fee band threshold, the Commission averages the two most recent quarters to smooth the calculation. The licence is suspended if the fee is not paid within the renewal period, and deemed to have lapsed if still unpaid after one month. Ongoing obligations at renewal include: submission of audited financial statements within 6 months of the financial year end, maintenance of the approved ICS, payment of the annual gambling business association fee for each listed associate, and confirmation of continued compliance with AML/CFT and responsible gambling conditions.

The AGCC has a graduated enforcement response. Minor violations receive a rectification proposal followed by a written caution if unresolved. More serious matters trigger a regulatory hearing at which financial penalties may be imposed. The Commission can also suspend the licence immediately if the urgency of the matter warrants it, pending a full regulatory hearing. Revocation is available where the Commission determines that continued licensing would jeopardize the integrity of eGambling in Alderney or affect the public interest adversely. Failure to cooperate with an AGCC information requirement or site visit (following the 2024 Amendment) is itself a separate criminal offence, independent of any underlying compliance issue.

In common usage, both phrases refer to authorizations issued by the AGCC, but they describe different types. Gambling license typically refers to B2C operator authorizations (Category 1 eGambling licence or Category 1 associate certificate), which cover the player-facing side of the operation. Gaming license typically refers to B2B technology authorizations (Category 2 associate certificate), which cover the platform and software infrastructure side. The right category depends entirely on what the business does: if the business registers players, manages customer funds, and offers gambling directly to consumers, it needs a gambling licence. If it provides software or platform services to licensed operators rather than to players, it needs a gaming certificate.