Licence by product · Betting
Online Sports Betting Licence
Odds feeds, risk tools and PSPs all ask for the same thing before they'll work with your book: a licence. A sportsbook licenses on the same routes as a casino — from about €17,000 a year and ~4 weeks offshore, up to six figures and several months for a tier-1 European licence.
overview
What you actually need.
A sports betting licence authorises you to accept real-money wagers — pre-match and in-play — pay out winnings, and contract the infrastructure a book runs on: odds and data feeds, risk management, payment processing. Data providers and PSPs check the licence at onboarding; without it you can't buy the feeds that make a sportsbook work.
Bookmakers have one structural advantage over casinos: the product is thinner to certify. There's no RNG game lab work — the regulator cares about your risk controls, data sources and player protections. That makes offshore licensing genuinely fast: a bookmaker with clean KYC can be taking bets in about a month on the KUNAISA or Anjouan routes.
Where you plan to source odds matters more than most founders expect. Official-data markets (tier-1 regulated) price data by licence tier, while offshore books typically run on unofficial or aggregated feeds. We map your data plan against the licence so you don't buy a licence your feed provider won't serve.
your options
The routes that work.
Anjouan, KUNAISA or Tobique — the standard start for an international book: one licence, all bet types, crypto deposits, live in about a month.
Kahnawake or Curaçao — 25 years of licensing history and the offshore names acquirers know best. Worth it when card processing is your priority.
Malta or Isle of Man — for books targeting regulated European traffic with official data deals and mainstream payment rails.
head to head
Bookmaker licence routes compared
| Route | First-year cost | Timeline | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anjouan | from €17,828/yr | 4–8 weeks | Lowest cost, every bet type included |
| KUNAISA | €19,500/yr (incl. 2 domains) | ~4 weeks | Fastest to first bet |
| Tobique | €36,000 first year | 4–6 weeks | Crypto-first books |
| Kahnawake | ≈$50–75k initial all-in | 8–16 weeks | Longest offshore track record |
| Curaçao (CGA) | €47,450/yr + ≈€4,592 app | 3–6 months | Best offshore card processing |
| Malta (MGA) | €25,000/yr fixed + 5% Malta-player tax | 4–6 months | Regulated EU markets, official data |
requirements
Eligibility & docs.
step by step
From product to licence.
- Scope callYour sportsbook, target markets, payment mix and budget — we shortlist the licence routes that actually fit and give you an all-in number.Day 1
- Company & structureWe set up the licensed entity where the regulator wants it and the operating structure around it — cleanly, so banking doesn't choke later.Week 1–2
- File & evidenceKYC on owners, business plan, AML/RG policies, data-feed and risk-management evidence — we assemble the full file and handle every regulator query.Week 2–4
- Licence & railsLicence issued; merchant accounts, PSPs and crypto rails plugged in around it. You launch, we stay on for renewals and compliance.From week 4
Want the shortlist for your exact product?
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.
costs
What it costs.
Regulator schedules only — our service fee is quoted separately. Add company setup, banking and (if you run virtuals with RNG) certification. The calculator produces an all-in figure for your exact setup.
go deeper
Jurisdictions & related services.
FAQ
How much does a bookmaker licence cost?
From €17,828/yr (Anjouan) or €19,500/yr (KUNAISA, two domains included) offshore. Kahnawake runs ≈$50–75k initial all-in; Curaçao €47,450/yr plus application; Malta from €25,000/yr fixed fees plus 5% tax on Malta-player revenue.
How fast can a sportsbook go live?
About 4 weeks on the KUNAISA route, 4–8 weeks on Anjouan or Tobique — assuming your KYC documents are ready. The licence is usually live before your platform integration finishes.
Does the licence cover in-play and cash-out?
Yes — offshore betting licences authorise the activity of bookmaking, not individual bet formats. Pre-match, live, cash-out, virtuals and esports markets all sit under the same authorisation.
Do I need a separate licence for esports betting?
No — esports markets are covered by every route on this page. If esports is your core product there are jurisdiction nuances worth knowing; see our dedicated esports betting licence page.
Will data providers work with an offshore-licensed book?
Unofficial and aggregated feed providers, yes — that's the standard offshore stack. Official league data (for regulated markets) is licensed by market tier, which is a reason some books add a tier-1 licence later. We map your data plan to the licence before you file.
other products
Licensing a different 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.
Free consultation
Start your licence file.
Tell us the product — we'll map the licence, banking and structure that gets it live. Free, confidential, no obligation — most enquiries get a reply within 24 hours.