Provisional Gaming Licence
A provisional licence lets you trade while the regulator finishes checking you. Two regimes we run offer one, and in Tobique or Anjouan a full licence takes four to eight weeks.
What a provisional licence is
A provisional licence is a time-limited permission to operate while the regulator completes its full assessment. It is not a lighter licence and not a loophole. You are supervised, your obligations are live, and the permission expires if the full file does not land.
Two of the regimes we run offer one. Kahnawake grants its Client Provider Authorization for an initial six-month term, after an application the KGC estimates at about four to eight weeks. You operate during that term while your compliance programme runs, and the KGC reviews it before renewing the CPA for up to five years or extending the term once by three months. Curaçao, under the LOK framework, can issue a provisional licence of up to six months during Phase 2 of its two-phase review, which the CGA may extend by up to six more months.
The complication is that provisional is not always the fastest route. A full Tobique licence lands in four to six weeks and an Anjouan one in four to eight. That is quicker than waiting on a provisional somewhere slower, and without a second deadline hanging over you. If a new file is too slow either way, the other option is acquiring a company that already holds a live licence, with timing set by the regulator's change-of-control approval.
Three ways to be live before a full licence lands
Kahnawake's six-month first CPA term, granted after an application of about four to eight weeks, or Curaçao during Phase 2 for up to six months, extendable by up to six at the CGA's discretion. You trade while the regulator's review runs, and you carry the full obligations plus a deadline.
Tobique in four to six weeks, Anjouan in four to eight. No second deadline, no provisional-to-full transition risk, and usually a simpler conversation with payment providers.
Useful where a change-of-control approval moves faster than a new file. We broker vetted ready-made licensed companies, verify the licence against the official register and handle the change-of-control filing, which the regulator must approve before the permission passes to you.
Provisional vs. fast full vs. acquisition
| Criteria | Provisional licence | Fast full licence | Buy a licensed company |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time to live | ≈4–8 weeks (Kahnawake) | 4–8 weeks | Set by the change-of-control approval |
| Second deadline | Yes — the full file | No | No |
| Compliance load | Full, from day one | Full | Full, plus inherited history |
| Banking reception | Regime-dependent | Standard for the regime | May transfer with the target |
| Main risk | Assessment not completing in time | None beyond a normal file | Undisclosed liabilities in the target |
| Where it exists | Kahnawake, Curaçao | Tobique, Anjouan | Any regime with transferable control |
What a provisional licence still requires
How to get live fastest
- Decide the route We compare a provisional, a fast full licence and an acquisition against your actual launch date, markets and payment plan. Usually one of the three is obviously right. Day 1
- Build the full file anyway Provisional review reads the real application. There is no shortened version, so the file gets built properly either way. Week 1–3
- Provisional grant and launch Kahnawake grants the six-month first CPA term after an application the KGC estimates at four to eight weeks. You go live with banking lined up around the permission you actually hold. From week 4–8
- Convert to full We run the remaining assessment to grant — treating the provisional expiry as a hard date, not a renewable one. Within the provisional term
Want a provisional licence taken off your desk?
Tell us your product, target markets and payment mix — we'll confirm the route that gets you live fastest at the lowest all-in cost, with the number itemised.
What the fast routes cost
A provisional licence is not separately priced in either regime that offers one. You pay the regime's normal fees and the provisional is a stage within the process, so the comparison that matters is total time-to-live against total cost. Regulator figures are published schedules and mirror our jurisdiction pages.
Where provisional licences exist
Provisional gaming licence FAQ
What is a provisional gaming licence?
A time-limited permission to operate while the regulator completes its full assessment. It carries the full obligations of a licence (AML, responsible gaming, reporting) and expires if the full file does not land in time. It is a stage in the process, not a lighter class of licence.
Which jurisdictions issue provisional licences?
Of the regimes we run, two. Kahnawake grants its Client Provider Authorization for an initial six-month term after an application of about four to eight weeks, then reviews you before renewing for up to five years. Curaçao, under the LOK framework, can grant a provisional licence of up to six months during Phase 2 of its two-phase review, which the CGA may extend by up to six more months.
Is a provisional licence faster than a normal one?
Not always, and this is the part most operators get wrong. Kahnawake's six-month first CPA term comes after an application of about four to eight weeks, and a full Tobique licence takes four to six weeks and a full Anjouan licence four to eight, with no second deadline to manage. Compare total time-to-live, not the headline on the first stage.
Will payment providers accept a provisional licence?
Some will, some will not. Acquirers underwrite the permission you actually hold, and a provisional one with an expiry date reads as more risk than a full licence. Get the acquirer's acceptance in writing before you build a launch plan on it, because without a payment route you cannot take a deposit.
What happens when a provisional licence expires?
You stop operating unless the full licence has been granted or the term extended. A Curaçao provisional licence can be extended by up to six more months at the CGA's discretion; Kahnawake's first term runs six months; the KGC reviews you at least 30 days before it ends and renews the CPA for up to five years or extends it once by three months. Plan the full file on the assumption no extension arrives.
What is the fastest way to go live legally?
Often, acquiring a company that already holds a live licence, because the permission already exists and the work is diligence plus a change-of-control filing. The timing is set by the regulator's change-of-control approval, which it must give before control passes to you. That is what our Licence M&A desk does. The trade is that you inherit the target's history, so the diligence is the whole job.
Licences by product
Reviewed by the Vantegris licensing team. This page is general information, not legal advice. Fee schedules and timelines mirror our jurisdiction pages and change when regulators change them.
Need to be live sooner?
Tell us the product and we'll map the licence, banking and structure that gets it live. The consultation is free and confidential, and most enquiries get a reply within 24 hours.