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UK, Ireland and the Crown Dependencies · British Isles

Online gambling in Alderney: regulation, licence and market guide

Regulated Reviewed September 2026 Site language available

Alderney licenses online gambling through the Alderney Gambling Control Commission under the eGambling Ordinance 2009, with Category 1 (B2C) and Category 2 (B2B) licences, no gambling duty and a reputation for strict supervision.

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Regulator
AGCC
Local licence for private operators
Yes
Operator tax
No gambling duty and no VAT. Companies in the Bailiwick of Guernsey pay income tax at a standard rate of 0% (10% and 20% rates apply to certain regulated financial and utility activities), and there is no capital gains tax; the annual licence fee is the main regulatory charge.
Player tax
None.
Currency
Pound sterling (Guernsey pound at par) (GBP)
Languages
English
Payment methods players use
cards, bank transfer, e-wallets
Last reviewed
September 2026

Alderney, the northernmost Channel Island with about 2,100 residents, has run a dedicated online gambling regime since 2000. The Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC) issues Category 1 licences for the customer relationship and player funds and Category 2 licences for operating the gambling platform, plus Associate Certificates for companies based outside Alderney. There is no gambling duty and the Bailiwick of Guernsey's standard corporate tax rate is 0%; licence fees are banded by net gaming yield. The AGCC's 2024 annual report counted 36 licensees and certificate holders, and its regime was found free of deficiencies in the Bailiwick's 2025 MONEYVAL evaluation. It is a licensing base for international brands, not a player market.

VerticalStatus in Alderney
Online casinoRegulated
Sports bettingRegulated
Online pokerRegulated
LotteryMonopoly
Social casino (free to play)Permitted

Regulated: Private operators can hold a local licence for online casino and/or betting.

Who regulates gambling in Alderney?

  • Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC) — Independent commission that licenses eGambling, approves key individuals, internal control systems and gambling equipment, supervises AML/CFT and enforces

Alderney gambling licence: how it works

An Alderney company applies for a Category 1 eGambling licence (player registration and verification, the contract with the player and management of player funds), a Category 2 licence (effecting the gambling transaction and running the platform in an approved hosting center) or both. Companies based elsewhere can instead hold a Category 1 or Category 2 Associate Certificate, which lets a foreign entity manage players or receive customers from an Alderney Category 1 licensee. Applications are filed with a £10,000 investigation deposit that is drawn against the AGCC's actual costs; the Commission vets owners and key individuals and approves the operator's internal control system and gambling equipment before issuing the licence on payment of the fee. Licences are renewed annually, and industry reports describe the process as fully digital since 1 January 2026.

What an applicant needs

  • Alderney company for a licence, or a foreign company for an Associate Certificate
  • Fit-and-proper approval of the applicant, key individuals and gambling business associates
  • Approved internal control system covering AML/CFT, player funds, responsible gambling and complaints
  • Gambling equipment approved by the AGCC and hosted in an approved hosting center (Category 2)
  • Player funds segregated and protected under the AGCC's regulations
  • Annual regulatory returns and renewal fee
Licence cost
Category 1 licence: £17,500 in the first year, then an annual fee from £35,000 in Band A (net gaming yield under £500,000) rising by band to £400,000 at the top band. Category 2 licence: £17,500 in the first year, then £35,000 a year. Category 1 or 2 Associate Certificate: £35,000 in the first year, then £50,000 a year (Category 1 certificates also carry the net gaming yield bands). Investigation deposit £10,000 (£5,000 for a Core Services Associate Certificate), refunded net of costs.
Duration
Annual renewal
Local entity required
Yes
Processing time
Not published; the AGCC vets each application on its own facts and applicants commonly plan for several months

Gambling taxes in Alderney

  • Operators: No gambling duty and no VAT. Companies in the Bailiwick of Guernsey pay income tax at a standard rate of 0% (10% and 20% rates apply to certain regulated financial and utility activities), and there is no capital gains tax; the annual licence fee is the main regulatory charge.
  • Players: None.
  • Also: Operators serving Great Britain need a UK Gambling Commission licence and pay UK duties, including 40% Remote Gaming Duty since April 2026, whatever their base.

Advertising, player protection, KYC and payments

Advertising

Alderney has no consumer-facing advertising code of its own because licensees market in other countries; the AGCC requires marketing to comply with the laws of each target jurisdiction and prohibits promotion to under-18s.

Responsible gaming

Licensees must operate age verification, self-exclusion, deposit and loss limits, clear terms and a complaints procedure under the eGambling Regulations and the AGCC's internal control system standards; player funds must be protected.

Identity and age verification

Customer due diligence and ongoing monitoring under Guernsey's AML/CFT framework as applied to eGambling, with enhanced measures for higher-risk players; the AGCC's inspectorate audits controls on site and remotely.

Payments

Cards, bank transfers, e-wallets and, where the internal control system covers it, cryptocurrency can be used, following the rules of the markets served; player funds are held in protected accounts.

Notable restrictions

  • Licensees may only serve jurisdictions where their offer is lawful
  • UK customers only with a UK Gambling Commission licence
  • Key individuals and gambling business associates need AGCC approval
  • Platforms must run in an AGCC-approved hosting center
  • Players must be 18 or over

Alderney iGaming market: size, players and payments

No reliable public estimate of domestic play; Alderney is a licensing base. Its licensees represent hundreds of online brands, including Sky Betting and Gaming, Betway and Jumpman Gaming bingo sites (AGCC 2024 annual report, Bailiwick Express).

At 31 December 2024 the AGCC had 36 licensees and certificate holders: 19 Category 1 and 9 Category 2 licences plus Associate Certificates; the live register listed 22 eGambling licensees in August 2026, including Betway Alderney, Greentube Alderney, Jumpman Gaming, Kambi Sports Solutions (Alderney) and Playtech Software (Alderney).

What players play
online bingo networksonline casino and slotssports bettingpool bettinglottery betting
How they pay
cardsbank transfere-wallets

Timeline: how Alderney got here

  1. 2000Alderney Gambling Control Commission established to regulate eGambling from the island
  2. 2009Alderney eGambling Ordinance 2009 and eGambling Regulations 2009 create the current Category 1 and Category 2 framework
  3. 2015-04eGambling (Amendment) Ordinance 2015 updates the fee structure now in force
  4. 2025-03MONEYVAL report on the Bailiwick of Guernsey finds Alderney's eGambling regulations full and contemporary
  5. 2025-07New Commissioner appointed to the four-strong Commission
  6. 2026-04AGCC signs a memorandum of understanding with the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland

Outlook

Alderney competes for quality rather than volume: expect continued emphasis on AML/CFT supervision, digital applications and regulator-to-regulator agreements such as the 2026 Irish MOU, while the licensee count fluctuates as groups consolidate. Fee levels have been stable since 2015 and no change had been announced as of September 2026.

Launching in Alderney with GameBridge

Turnkey (your licence, our platform). AGCC licences and certificates are issued to the operator's own company after probity checks, so the operator holds the licence and runs on GameBridge; GameBridge holds no Alderney licence.

An Alderney licensee on GameBridge runs its brands in the site languages and currencies its markets need, with per-brand geo lists that admit only the jurisdictions its counsel has cleared. The platform can be deployed in an AGCC-approved hosting center for Category 2 requirements or connected to an existing Category 2 licensee. KYC with liveness, transaction monitoring and AML case management support the internal control system the AGCC approves, player-funds segregation reporting supports the protection requirements, and the responsible-gaming module carries age gates, limits and self-exclusion. GameBridge Studios and Originals ship with certification packages for AGCC equipment approval.

  • Deployment option in an AGCC-approved hosting center
  • Multi-currency wallets and per-brand geo lists
  • KYC before play, transaction monitoring and AML case management
  • Player-funds segregation reporting
  • Per-brand responsible-gaming limits and self-exclusion
  • Regulatory-return exports and Activity Log for inspections

Alderney licensees run bingo, casino and sportsbook brands; the aggregated catalog of {providersAvailable} game providers, the sportsbook and GameBridge Studios exclusives ship with the certification package the AGCC's equipment approval requires.

Frequently asked questions

Is online gambling legal in Alderney?
Yes. The Alderney eGambling Ordinance 2009 lets the Alderney Gambling Control Commission license online casino, betting, bingo, poker and lottery-style products offered from Alderney to players in other countries, subject to those countries' laws. With about 2,100 residents, Alderney is a licensing base rather than a market for players.
How much does an Alderney gambling licence cost?
A Category 1 (B2C) licence costs £17,500 in year one and from £35,000 a year afterwards, banded by net gaming yield up to £400,000. A Category 2 (B2B) licence costs £17,500 in year one and £35,000 a year afterwards. Associate Certificates for companies outside Alderney cost £35,000 in year one and £50,000 a year. A £10,000 investigation deposit is charged against actual costs.
Is there a gambling tax in Alderney?
No. Alderney charges no gambling duty and no VAT, and Guernsey's standard corporate income tax rate is 0% with no capital gains tax, so the annual licence fee is the main regulatory cost. Operators still pay the duties of the markets they serve; taking bets from customers in Great Britain requires a UK licence and UK Remote Gaming Duty of 40%.
What is the difference between a Category 1 and Category 2 Alderney licence?
Category 1 covers the customer relationship: registering and verifying players, the contract with them and holding their funds, so it is the B2C licence. Category 2 covers effecting the gambling transaction and operating the platform in an approved hosting center, so it is the B2B or platform licence. A company can hold one or both, and foreign companies can take equivalent Associate Certificates.
Can a foreign company get an Alderney licence?
A licence itself requires an Alderney company, but a company incorporated elsewhere can hold a Category 1 or Category 2 Associate Certificate, which lets it manage players or receive customers transferred from an Alderney Category 1 licensee under AGCC supervision. Owners and key individuals are vetted in either case, and the internal control system must be approved before launch.
How does GameBridge work with Alderney licensees?
Under the turnkey model the operator holds the AGCC licence or certificate and runs on GameBridge: deployment in an approved hosting center where required, multi-currency wallets, per-brand geo lists, KYC and AML case management, player-funds reporting and certification packages for equipment approval. See Turnkey and Licensing and corporate.

Sources and review

Reviewed against the sources below on 11 September 2026. Regulation changes; confirm the current position with local counsel before launch.

Regulatory summaries are provided for orientation only and are not legal advice. Licensing requirements change; we validate them with you during scoping.

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