The market
Antigua and Barbuda is an offshore licensing hub, not a player market, and one of the oldest. The FSRC has regulated interactive gaming from the island since the 1990s and works from three decades of published regulations under the Interactive Gaming and Interactive Wagering Regulations. It carries reputational weight from its long history and its role in the landmark WTO dispute with the United States, but its practical use has faded since that era as cheaper and faster hubs took market share. It is best understood today as a credible but expensive base for small to mid-sized operators targeting markets outside the US.
The licence covers casino and betting products and carries international recognition, but it grants no EU or US market access; each regulated market needs its own authorisation. Operators may host servers off-island provided the primary server stays in Antigua, which keeps real-time logs onshore.
Regulation and licensing
The FSRC Directorate of Offshore Gaming issues two licence types: an Interactive Gaming licence for casino, poker, lottery and bingo at USD 100,000 per year, and an Interactive Wagering licence for sports and related betting at USD 75,000 per year. Upfront charges include a USD 15,000 non-refundable due-diligence fee and a USD 100,000 player reserve held as security and refunded if the operator ceases. Ongoing costs include a USD 25,000 annual monitoring-system fee (higher for two licences), a USD 5,000 annual renewal fee, and USD 1,000 per key person. Each 5%-plus shareholder, director and key person must file a personal information form. Processing runs around 60 days once the file is complete, and three to five months including setup.
The headline tax is low: 3% of net gaming revenue (net win), capped at USD 50,000 per month, with deductions allowed for items such as software licensing, chargebacks and player bonuses. The cap makes the effective tax negligible at scale, but the fixed annual and monitoring fees are what drive the real cost.
Marketing and player rules
As a licensing jurisdiction, Antigua’s own advertising and player-limit rules are secondary to those of the target markets. The FSRC requires AML controls, audits, server integrity and player-protection measures, and treats licensed operators as financial institutions under its law. Operators must meet the marketing, bonus, age and self-exclusion rules of every jurisdiction they actually serve.
What this means for your plan
I would not choose Antigua as a base today unless the reputational history genuinely helps a specific banking or partner conversation. At USD 100,000 a year for the gaming licence plus a USD 100,000 locked reserve and USD 25,000 monitoring, it is dearer than the reformed Curacao regime and far dearer than the newer Caribbean and Comoros options, for a licence with the same lack of regulated-market access. The 3% capped tax is attractive but does not offset the fixed cost for a small operator. Use it only if a particular counterparty values the FSRC name.
Sources
- Licence Gaming, Antigua and Barbuda gaming licence 2026, checked 5 September 2026
- Gaming.net, Antigua and Barbuda FSRC licences 2026, checked 5 September 2026
- Antigua Newsroom, gambling licensing in Antigua and Barbuda, checked 5 September 2026