Vanuatu vs Anjouan Gaming Licence 2026: Which to Choose
Vanuatu vs Anjouan in 2026: a balanced head-to-head of two cheap, crypto-friendly offshore gaming licences on fees, term, tax and structure.
Contents
If you’re shopping for a cheap, crypto-friendly offshore gaming licence in 2026, two names keep surfacing: Vanuatu and Anjouan. They sit in the same lane (low fees, light substance, crypto-friendly, broad international reach), and on a quick scan they look interchangeable. The differences are narrow, but they shape your budget and your renewal calendar for years, and picking the wrong one costs money you didn’t need to spend.
We take operators through licensing on both, so this is a genuine head-to-head, and we have no reason to favour either. Here is how they actually differ, and how to decide.
- Vanuatu is cheaper on the annual fee (€10,000 versus Anjouan’s €17,828) and allows a term of up to 15 years instead of annual renewal.
- Anjouan is 0% GGR and marginally faster (4–8 weeks); Vanuatu is 0% turnover plus a 1% GGR tax and takes about two months end to end.
- Vanuatu needs a Vanuatu-registered applicant company; Anjouan uses a Costa Rica applicant. Neither sets a fixed minimum capital, and both cover all gaming verticals under one authorisation.
- Choose on cost and term horizon or on speed and an established name, since the two rarely point the same way.
Vanuatu and Anjouan at a glance
Vanuatu’s Interactive Gaming Licence is granted under the Interactive Gaming Act [Cap 261], with the Director of Customs and Inland Revenue as regulator and applications filed through VGA Limited, the Vanuatu Gaming Authority. Anjouan’s licence comes from the Anjouan Betting & Gaming Board (ABGB). Both fold casino, betting and poker into a single authorisation, and both are used for crypto gambling, but the commercial terms diverge in ways worth mapping side by side.
| Factor | Vanuatu | Anjouan |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | €10,000 | €17,828 |
| Licence term | Up to 15 years | Annual |
| Tax | 0% turnover, 1% GGR | 0% GGR |
| Min. capital | No fixed amount | None |
| Local presence | Vanuatu-registered company | Not required |
| Timeline | ≈ 2 months | 4–8 weeks |
| Crypto gambling | Within all interactive gaming; no crypto rulebook | Widely used; no crypto rulebook |
| Applicant company | Vanuatu | Costa Rica |
| Best suited to | Lower annual cost over a long term | Fast launch under an established name |
Cost and term: Vanuatu wins on the number
On fees, Vanuatu is the cheaper licence. Its annual fee is €10,000 for one domain (with a €5,000 application fee and €1,500 for each additional wagering domain), against Anjouan’s €17,828 a year. That is a meaningful gap on the recurring line, and it compounds. Vanuatu also allows a term of up to 15 years, one of the longest available anywhere, so you’re not re-filing and re-budgeting every twelve months the way an annually renewed permit demands. For a lean startup watching its burn, that combination of a low fee and a long, low-maintenance term is hard to beat.
There is one asterisk. Vanuatu levies a small 1% tax on gross gaming revenue, where Anjouan is a clean 0% GGR. For most emerging operators the fee saving dwarfs that 1%, but at very high turnover the tax line starts to matter, and the arithmetic can shift. It’s worth running your own projected GGR through both models rather than assuming the cheaper fee always wins. A €7,828 annual fee advantage covers the 1% levy up to about €782,800 of GGR a year, so the crossover point is real and specific to your numbers. For the full breakdown of what a Vanuatu file is made of, our Vanuatu gaming licence guide walks through the numbers.
Framework and coverage: established name versus long-dated permit
Where Anjouan earns its higher fee is reach and recognition. It is an established offshore name with a large base of licence holders (more than 1,500 on its public register) and a long track record with crypto casinos. That public register is a genuine asset: players and payment partners can verify a licence for themselves, which smooths some banking and PSP conversations. Anjouan’s positioning as a fast, credible alternative to Curaçao is covered in depth in Anjouan as a viable alternative to Curaçao.
Vanuatu counters with a formal Pacific credential under the Interactive Gaming Act and a term of up to 15 years. Both licences support a broad multi-vertical product, with casino, sportsbook, poker and lottery-style games under one authorisation in each case. The difference is less about what you can offer and more about the brand behind the badge and how long it lasts before renewal.
A Vanuatu or Anjouan permit lets you operate, but it does not open regulated markets. Both require you to geo-block jurisdictions you aren’t separately licensed in, plus sanctioned and FATF-listed territories. That obligation is identical on either side, so it never tips the decision. For the wider field of options, see the best gambling licences for 2026.
Speed and structure: close, with a slight edge to Anjouan
On timeline the two are near neighbours. Anjouan typically issues in four to eight weeks. For Vanuatu, the VGA puts processing at about a month for a complete file, and registering the local company and assembling documents brings the path to about two months. If getting live a couple of weeks sooner is decisive for you, Anjouan has the slight edge, but in practice the real determinant is how clean and complete your file is, whichever jurisdiction you pick. A well-prepared Vanuatu application can finish ahead of a poorly prepared Anjouan one.
Structurally they are close but not identical. Anjouan uses a Costa Rica applicant company (no local island incorporation needed), while section 4 of Vanuatu’s Act requires the applicant to be a company registered in Vanuatu. Neither imposes a fixed minimum capital. On banking the picture is the same for both: settlement runs through an EMI or neobank account, and any gambling payment agent is incorporated in Cyprus, because mainstream processors like Stripe, PayPal and Wise do not serve this kind of gambling business. Neither permit is banked as broadly as a heavier onshore regime, but both are workable for a well-structured operator.
How to choose between Vanuatu and Anjouan
Strip it back and the call is clear. Pick Vanuatu if a lower annual fee is your priority, if you value a term of up to 15 years with minimal renewal friction, and if a 1% GGR tax is an acceptable trade for the fee saving. Pick Anjouan if speed to launch matters most, if you want an established offshore name with a public register your partners can check, and if a clean 0% GGR suits your turnover. Both are lean, fast, crypto-friendly first licences, and the decision usually comes down to budget horizon against recognition and speed.
Two operators with near-identical products can land on different answers here. A bootstrapped crypto casino planning a multi-year run tends to favour Vanuatu’s long term and low fee; a team racing a marketing window or trading on an already-recognised badge often leans Anjouan. Neither permit is better in general; the right one is whichever fits your cost model, your launch timing and the markets you intend to serve.
If you’re still weighing the two, that’s the conversation we have every week. Compare the Vanuatu gambling licence service and the Anjouan gambling licence service directly, then book a free consultation and we’ll match the licence to your budget, product mix and target markets.
Frequently asked questions
Is Vanuatu or Anjouan cheaper?
Vanuatu has the lower annual fee: €10,000 a year against Anjouan's €17,828. Vanuatu also carries a 1% tax on gross gaming revenue where Anjouan is 0% GGR, so at very high turnover the gap narrows. On headline fees Vanuatu is the cheaper permit, and a term of up to 15 years removes annual re-approval.
Which is faster to license, Vanuatu or Anjouan?
Anjouan is marginally faster. It typically issues in 4–8 weeks. For Vanuatu, the VGA puts processing at about a month for a complete file, and about two months end to end is realistic once the local company and documents are ready. Both are quick by offshore standards, and in practice the biggest variable is how clean and complete your file is, whichever jurisdiction you pick.
Do both cover crypto casinos?
Both are used by crypto casinos. Vanuatu's licence covers all forms of interactive gaming and its Act has no crypto-specific rules; Anjouan is widely used by crypto casinos, though its regulator publishes no crypto-specific rulebook. Either way, a gaming licence is not a VASP licence, and crypto play still carries AML duties such as the FATF Travel Rule.
Do I need a local company for either?
No. Neither Vanuatu nor Anjouan requires a local office or resident director. For Anjouan the applicant company is set up in Costa Rica; for Vanuatu a suitable corporate applicant is used with no local Vanuatu presence. Any gambling payment agent is incorporated in Cyprus.
Which licence should a first-time operator pick?
If the priority is a lower annual cost and a long, low-maintenance term, Vanuatu. If speed to launch and an established, publicly verifiable offshore name matter more, Anjouan. Both suit startups; the decision usually comes down to budget, term horizon and how quickly you must go live.
Can I hold both licences?
Yes. Some operators run one as a primary licence and add the other to diversify markets or banking. The structures differ slightly (Anjouan uses a Costa Rica applicant company, Vanuatu a suitable corporate applicant), but both settle through an EMI or neobank account and can run in parallel.
Sources
This article is for general informational purposes only and is not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional before acting.
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