Antigua Division of Gaming Review

Name: Antigua Division of Gaming - Jurisdiction Review
Item: Antigua Division of Gaming - Jurisdiction
Rating: 7
Author: Casinomeister

By Alex Smith Feb 29, 2024

Casinomeister's Verdict

The Antiga Division of Gaming is one of the world’s oldest eGaming regulators, with a good reputation for enforcing licensees’ compliance with their terms and conditions. They are one of the smaller players, with only 5 licences currently granted.

One of the Oldest Regulator in the world.

7 Our Rating

Oversight

Responsiveness

Transparency

Infrastructure

History

Reliability

Jurisdiction Antigua Division of Gaming

Founded 1994

Website https://www.fsrc.gov.ag/

E-mail info@fsrc.gov.ag

Address Royal Palm Place Friars Hill Road St. John's Antigua

Reliability Average

Pros

One of the oldest and best reputations in the industry
Simple application process and quick approvals
Low taxes and application fees

Cons

Controversial license because of tax opinions
Smaller organization with only 5 licenses available

The Antigua Division of Gaming is the regulatory authority in charge of managing and monitoring all online gaming operations in the Antigua and Barbuda territory.

The Antiga Division of Gaming is one of the world’s oldest eGaming regulators, with a good reputation for enforcing licensees’ compliance with their terms and conditions.

We’ll look at who the Antigua Division of Gaming is, what they do, and what restrictions they place on licensees in this piece. Later on, we’ll look at how they handle player concerns.

About The Antigua Division of Gaming

The Antigua Division of Gaming was established in 1994, making it one of the earliest online gaming regulators. They are responsible for eGambling in Antigua and Barbuda, as well as monitoring all online gaming businesses in the country.

While there are only five licenses granted (at the time of writing), the Antigua Division of Gaming takes its duties seriously and ensures that all operators comply with applicable regulations, notably those relating to money laundering and responsible gaming.

Operators may apply for a license online using the regulator’s official website, and the authority has shown to be reliable and attentive to concerns concerning operators.

Provisions of a License

If an operator wants to obtain a license from the Antigua Division of Gaming, they must fill out three schedules. To begin, operators must complete Schedule A, which is a licensing application. This is the initial component of a registration for an Interactive Gaming or Interactive Wagering License, and it’s on this form.

Second, licensees must complete and submit a Business Entity Declaration ” (Schedule B) in order to learn more about the firm that is requesting for a license.

After that, operators must fill out Schedule C, which contains personal information for all essential persons participating in the online gaming business.

A non-refundable charge of $15,000 is submitted to the regulator after these schedules are completed, and they will decide whether to approve, refuse, or reject the request within 60 days.

Operators must follow a variety of licensing criteria if they are successful. The Antigua Division of Gaming’s prevention of money laundering measures are the most crucial. The Anti Money Laundering Act (MLPA) of 1996 and the Prevention of Terrorism Act of 2005 are the foundations for these activities. These laws compel operators to conduct a range of checks on players, such as Know Your Customer (KYC) checks and financial surveillance, to verify that players are gambling with money they have earned legally.

Licensees must also follow a number of safer gambling guidelines, including prohibiting underage gambling and ensuring that consumers gamble their money in a manner that does not negatively impact their lives.

License holders must additionally contribute annually to the Gaming Addiction Education and Research Initiative, which is an island-wide program aimed at furthering research into the harmful effects of gambling and raising public awareness about the risks of gambling.

A Long History Regulating Online Casinos

Antigua Division of Gaming may surprise some people, as they were actually the first offshore gaming regulator to approve licenses for online casinos; in fact, thanks to their interactive gaming license, they opened up online gambling possibilities to online gambling companies all over the world – and in 1994 they started to provide licenses. Thanks to the low taxes that companies pay, the Antigua and Barbuda online gambling regulator has attracted many online gambling companies.

In fact, many online poker sites – and even online casinos from other gambling jurisdictions – have chosen to apply for a Antigua and Barbuda offshore gaming or interactive gaming license as they’re really affordable and they allow companies to penetrate into new markets really quickly – and today, the number of online poker sites based in the country along with solid international business corporations setting up shop there has made the online gambling scene in the territories very popular.

Disputes and Player Complaints

Player concerns are taken seriously by the Antigua Division of Gaming. They, like other regulators, suggest players submit their issues to the operator first. If you are dissatisfied with the operator’s decision, you may file a complaint with the regulator directly.

You may do so by sending an email to complaints@antiguagaming.gov.ag.

There are no defined timeframes for responding to complaints, but the regulator has an excellent habit of taking action on operators that do not follow the terms of their licenses.

Pros and Cons

One of the biggest benefits – for operators – of basing themselves in Antigua and Barbuda is the simple fact that the taxes are so low, and the application fee so low (when compared against other online gambling regulators, at least) that it makes setting up a new company relatively easy; especially when you consider the fact that today, getting an online gambling license can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

With many of the world’s biggest online gambling companies like Bet365 and Ladbrokes basing themselves in Antigua and Barbuda, it’s no surprise to see that even some of the smaller online casinos and poker sites are following suit – and the offshore gaming industry is booming, so even more companies are turning to Antigua Division of Gaming for a license.

Naturally, there are some disadvantages – and the main one is the fact that some people simply don’t agree with the Antigua Division of Gaming, as they feel it’s just a way for online gambling companies to get out of paying taxes by registering there. Still, the regulator does have a good reputation – and they appear to take player complaints seriously.

FAQs

How to Determine Whether an Antigua Division of Gaming License Is Valid

All operators must show the authorized Antigua Gaming Preferential Mark on their webpage, which verifies that the site complies with Antigua and Barbuda’s licensing requirements.

By tapping on the seal’s picture, you may verify its authenticity. This will send you to a gov website where you can check the legitimacy of the seal and examine its data. If a seal is invalid, you’ll get a warning stating it’s invalid, allowing you to quickly and simply assess whether or not a website is properly licensed.

How long does it take to apply for an offshore gaming / interactive gaming license in Antigua and Barbuda?

One of the big perks of applying for a license from the Antigua Division of Gaming is the fact that license applications tend to be approved (or denied) relatively quickly. Unlike other major gaming regulators, like the UKGC, for example, it doesn’t take months or even years for a license to be processed – and this allows you to

Is the Antigua Division of Gaming legit?

Yes! Actually, the regulator is among the oldest in the world, with over two decades of experience in the iGaming industry – and from what they’ve done so far, the Antigua and Barbuda Division of Gaming has a really strong reputation. They don’t hand out licenses to just anyone – something we often see from other iGaming regulators like Curacao – and they regularly take action against rogue online casino sites who are found to be operating illegally.

What’s more, the Division requires sites to implement robust responsible gambling measures for all players, and this means that not only are you playing in a safe and secure environment – you’re also protected at all times.

Why do so many poker sites get licensed by the Antigua Division of Gaming?

From the start of the online poker boom many poker sites have chosen to set up shop in Antigua and Barbuda – and while there’s a plethora of reasons for this, arguably the biggest is the fact that the taxes are very low when compared against other jurisdictions. The process of applying for a license is also seen as easier than in many other countries – although don’t assume that just because it’s easier to get a license doesn’t mean that the regulator doesn’t take their responsibilities seriously.