Alderney is a jurisdiction that is a dependency of the English crown. These lands are extremely favorable for online gambling. The legislation of this jurisdiction allows the acquisition of licenses for gambling activities, which includes casinos, poker, sports betting, lotteries and other gambling entertainment. The advantage of this territory is that it accepts bets from users from all over the world
General information
Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC) is the responsible body that regulates gambling activities in the jurisdiction of Alderney. The main goal of the organization is to control the quality of gaming software in accordance with the highest international standards in this industry.
In order to obtain an AGCC license, a casino must meet all the strict requirements of this organization. If the operator has not met the requirements of the commission, he must urgently improve the quality of his software, and then re-qualify.
Types of AGCC licenses
It is important to bear in mind that licenses of various categories are represented in this commission. Their cost will also differ. For a license of the first category, you will need to pay from £17,500 to £35,000. Permit renewals will also cost between £35,000 and £400,000 annually. The cost may depend on many different nuances.
This Alderney Gambling Control Commission issues 4 types of licenses depending on the range of services provided:
- eGambling licenses;
- Associate certificates;
- Hosting certificates;
- Temporary eGambling licenses.
Any of these types of licenses are issued for 1 year. And in the future, this permit must be renewed annually.
Benefits of this license
Alderney is part of the Channel Islands. These lands are under British protectorate. This jurisdiction has its own legislation, which contains clear and transparent control tools. It is thanks to such a well-coordinated legislative system that this offshore has a very high rating.
Online casinos that have received an Alderney license and carry out official activities on the territory of the island can enjoy numerous benefits:
- Trust on the part of the players;
- Stable traffic;
- Moderate tax rate;
- Comfortable working conditions;
- Quick consideration of the application for a license;
- Support for the development of gambling activities by the state;
- Opportunities for rapid business development.
Potential license holders
The license will be issued only to those applicants who have fully met all the requirements of the Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC). This commission guarantees compliance with international standards that exist in the gambling entertainment industry. That is why AGCC licensed online casinos inspire confidence and security in players. And the jurisdiction itself is considered to be in demand and reliable both in the eyes of the players and the entrepreneurs themselves.
Varieties of AGCC licenses
The Alderney Gambling Control Commission is responsible for issuing and classifying gambling licenses in the Olederney jurisdiction. The AGCC is a non-political organization that performs regulatory functions. This body operates under the Alderney Gambling Act. The following gambling entertainments are subject to mandatory licensing in the territory of this jurisdiction:
- Casino;
- Sports betting;
- Poker;
The Alderney Gambling Control Commission занимается выдачей лицензий следующих видов:
Category I
B2C, licenses for companies operating in the jurisdiction of Alderney. Licensees have the opportunity to create their own platforms and games, as well as entertainment events (tournaments, championships, draws). All providers of software and other gaming services are required to have Associate certificates. And users get the opportunity to enjoy their favorite games on licensed platforms with a license from the regulatory authority. Each operator who has received a license of the first category must pay an annual fee to the Alderney Gambling Control Commission in the amount of 3000 pounds.
The following actions are available to AGCC licensees:
- Registration, verification and conclusion of contracts with their clients;
- Organization of games for users;
- Conduct all kinds of financial transactions using various payment systems;
- Money management of registered players;
- Gambling advertising;
- Servicing users with foreign registration.
Important: the operator is prohibited from independently managing the hardware resources or software of their platform.
Category II
B2B, for gaming platforms that operate on the territory of Alderney. Operators with this type of license cannot directly enter into agreements with online casino customers. The annual fee is £3,000.
The following actions are available to AGCC licensees:
- Acceptance of sports betting;
- Management of software and hardware resources of platforms with a license of the first category;
- Provision of services on behalf of companies with foreign registration.
Temporary eGambling licenses
Due to the presence of such a gambling permit, foreign companies can temporarily obtain the rights provided for category I or II licensees. The annual fee is £10,000 per licensee.
Holders of Temporary eGambling licenses may provide gambling services of type I or II for a short period of time:
- permanent use for 29 days;
- cumulative usage is 59 days over a six-month period.
After 30 or 60 days from the date of receipt of the temporary permit, the licensee will be required to register his company in the jurisdiction of Alderney, and also applied for a category I or II permit within 42 days.
If the licensee no longer wishes to continue their gambling activities in the jurisdiction of Alderney, he is obliged to inform the Alderney Gambling Control Commission of the deactivation of his permit no later than one hour after the first or last transaction.
Licensees with a temporary permit can apply for a category I and II license. Temporary permits are only suitable for companies with foreign registration.
Peculiarities of legalization of different types of gambling activities
In order to understand the peculiarities of obtaining a license depending on the chosen type of gambling activity, all information was structured in the form of a table.
| Work format | Features of legalization |
| Slot machines | At the first stage, a detailed analysis of the platform operation will be carried out. Game content and payout frequency will be subject to a rigorous quality assessment. Further, in order to obtain a certificate, it is mandatory to register a gambling company in the jurisdiction of Alderney. |
| Online casino | In order for an online casino to receive an official work permit, you will have to obtain a whole range of permits. After all, each gambling entertainment must have a separate license. Registration of all documents can take 4-6 months. |
| Lottery business | It is much easier to get a license for lotteries and machines, since they are based on random number generation. One license is required for an official work permit. |
| Sports betting | Only those operators who have previously been registered as a specialized enterprise in another offshore will be able to obtain a license to carry out betting activities. It is possible to obtain a license for an intermediary operator or for a betting shop. |
| Bingo | Due to the narrow specificity, permission for this work is issued as part of the main gambling package. The advantage of this solution is that bingo is classified as a kind of lottery, due to which the operator pays less tax to the treasury |
Types of certificates for service providers
The Alderney Gambling Control Commission is also responsible for issuing certificates to service providers. There are 4 types of such certificates. Let’s take a closer look at each of them:
- A Core Services Associate Certificate. Holders of such a certificate may act as a software supplier to all licensees of the Alderney Gambling Control Commission;
- A Category 1 Associate (B2C). Companies with such a certificate are allowed to provide services to clients of operators with licenses of categories I and II;
- A Category 2 Associate (B2B). The presence of such a certificate allows serving licensees with a Category I license, as well as representing the interests of foreign companies in the Bailiwick of Guernsey;
- A Key Individual Certificate. Holders of such an individual certificate may manage and manage AGCC licensed companies as well as other foreign organizations in Guernsey;
- A Hosting Certificate. Such a certificate can be obtained by the owners of premises for the placement of gambling equipment of licensees.
In order to obtain such a certificate, it is mandatory to have registration in the territory of the jurisdiction of Alderney.
Authority of the Alderney Gambling Control Commission
This body is administered by the British Crown. However, there is no direct subordination. The organization is responsible for issuing licenses for online casinos and other gambling establishments hosted in Guernsey or outside of it.
Such certificates and licenses from the Alderney Gambling Control Commission will also be valid in other countries where gaming activities are legally allowed. In some countries, including the UK, in order to confirm the obtained license, you will need to fill out a special form and obtain additional permission from local regulatory authorities.
Taxation
All licensees of the Alderney Gambling Control Commission are required to pay a fee for the application process, the issuance of the permit itself and the execution of relevant documents. It is also necessary to pay annual fees to the Gambling Association. There are no other government taxes for AGCC licensees.
AGCC Licensing Procedure
In order to obtain a license from the Alderney Gambling Control Commission, operators must adhere to the following algorithm of actions:
- Filing an application;
- Payment of the deposit for consideration of the application, the amount of the deposit is 5,000 GBP;
- Arrange a meeting with an authorized person of the Commission;
- Provide a detailed business plan and a list of company partners;
- Pay the license fee.
Additional requirements
After successfully completing all the above points, the company will be required to undergo an assessment of the internal control system (ICS), gambling equipment and capitalization. This service is also paid, its cost is 10,000 GBP. And in order to approve the software and hardware, the company will have to pay 5,000 pounds.
The following conditions are also mandatory requirements for capitalization:
- The user’s balance cannot be negative;
- Casino current assets must constantly exceed liabilities;
- The total casino assets must exceed the total liabilities by at least 35%.
Obtaining a work permit
The procedure for obtaining certificates I and II is the same as the procedure for obtaining a standard license. The cost of consideration of the application is 5,000 GBP. The commission will conduct a thorough quality check of the gambling equipment and software of the certificate holder. This procedure will cost £15,000.
Certificate holders are required to pay an annual fee of 3000 GBP. Only under this condition are they allowed to provide services in the gambling business.
In order to obtain a Key Individual Certificate, you must adhere to the following algorithm of actions:
- Fill in the application form;
- Provide written documents that confirm the position of the applicant;
- Pay the £1,000 fee.
In order to verify all the information as fully as possible and to protect the players, the Alderney Gambling Control Commission may involve law enforcement agencies in the verification procedure, as well as use information from regulatory and law enforcement agencies in foreign jurisdictions.
Procedure for screening potential licensees
The cost of considering an application for a hosting certificate is 5,000 GBP.
It should be noted that the licensing procedure is quite lengthy. And this is not surprising, because carrying out all the checks, getting acquainted with the documents and monitoring the activities of the casino is a rather time-consuming process. Therefore, consideration of the application and the decision to issue a license or certificate may take up to 6 months. And in case of detection of inaccuracies or incorrect execution of documents, this period will still be extended, since the application will be submitted for revision.
Protection of user interests
All registered players have the right to file a written notice regarding AGCC Type I licensee restrictions in the following matters:
- Making a deposit within a certain time period;
- The amount of the maximum allowable amount that can be spent during a certain time during gaming operations.
- Online casinos that have received a license from the Alderney Gambling Control Commission are required to publish information in the public domain regarding the following aspects:
- The Return to Player (RTP) value for each slot machine presented on the platform website;
- Identifier of regulators and its jurisdiction;
- How to communicate with customer support representatives;
- Game rules for all entertainment presented on the site;
- Ways to resolve possible disputes;
- Features of conducting safe financial transactions.
Requirements for licensees
A mandatory requirement of the AGCC is that the total assets of the licensed companies exceeded their total liabilities.
The AGCC requires that a casino’s total assets must exceed its total liabilities.
License holders of the first category must fulfill the following requirements:
- Provide players with the opportunity to use various payment systems for financial transactions;
- It is mandatory to inform each client about the possible risks in case of insolvency of the organizer or partner of the company.
If registered users have left complaints about the functioning of the resource, they are sent in writing to the person responsible for this question. The casino is obliged to provide each client with a written response to his complaint. If the player is then dissatisfied with the resolution of the dispute, the complaint will be forwarded to the AGCC for arbitration.
Summing up
The Alderney gambling license is a guarantee of the safety and reliability of the online casino. Having such a work permit will definitely help the gaming platform to gain the trust of customers and keep the information impeccable. This page features online casinos licensed by the Alderney Gambling Control Commission, so you can be sure that they are safe and secure.
