Tier-1 (Premium European)
Gibraltar licence.
GGC
Established UK-facing operators, listed-group corporate centres, premium B2B platforms.
What the regulator asks for
Year one cost
£30k B2C gaming application; £50k-£200k annual fee per gaming licence; other costs separate
Gibraltar LN 2026/065 (effective 1 April 2026): new B2C gaming-operator application £30,000; annual licence fee per gaming vertical £50,000 (GGY under £20m), £100,000 (£20m-£300m) or £200,000 (over £300m). B2B and other licence categories carry different fees. Separate gaming duty and operational costs apply.
Timeline
4-6 months
GGC is small and selective. They prefer applicants they have met. Pre-application engagement is essential. New B2C licences are rare; the licence book skews B2B and platform.
Gaming tax
Gibraltar General Gaming Duty is 0.15% of gross gaming profit, with the first £100,000 exempt, under LN 2026/065 effective 1 April 2026. General Betting Duty is separately 0.15% on gross betting profit. Licensing fees and corporate taxes are separate.
Marketing climate
Marketing into the UK requires a UKGC licence, which most Gibraltar holders also have. Gibraltar itself imposes light conduct rules.
The market
Gibraltar is small, established, and selective. Around 22 B2C and 30 B2B licensees as of early 2026. First prediction-betting licence granted March 2026. Post-Brexit cross-border with Spain governed by transitional arrangements; the UK-Spain Gibraltar treaty is expected to land in April 2026 with border-check implications. New residency restrictions from April 2026 (age 55 cap, salary thresholds) constrain staff hiring.
How the application runs
Application via the Gambling Division. Background checks on owners and senior officers are forensic. Banking and AML systems must be in place at submission, not aspirational.
Ongoing compliance
Gibraltar Code of Practice. AML/CFT under the Proceeds of Crime Act. Real substance test: too-thin operations get rejected.
What you can and cannot say
Conduct rules light, but most operators here are UK-facing and live by UKGC standards anyway.
The honest read
What it means for your plan
The cap-at-£425k tax and the tiered fee reform make Gibraltar one of the most efficient Tier-1 licences for revenue scale. The substance bar is rising and the post-Brexit picture has costs that did not exist five years ago. Best for groups with serious UK adjacency and the willingness to put real people on the Rock.
For operators planning next steps
From a licence comparison to an operator launch plan
Fees and requirements alone do not establish eligibility or readiness. Confirm current regulatory conditions with the authority and then plan product, payments and implementation.
Get 3 actions
Weighing up Gibraltar?
One sentence is enough. I read these myself and reply with three actions you can take.