I added Nevis to the ICOS portfolio in early 2026 after reviewing the primary regulatory documents. The short version: it fills a genuine gap in the market between Anjouan and Curaçao, specifically for operators who need better banking and payment processor access than Anjouan provides but cannot
Compare the Anjouan, Curaçao, MGA and Nevis licenses by budget, timeline, banking and payment processing access and operational complexity.
There is a moment in most offshore operators' growth where the question shifts from "how do I get licensed cheaply" to "how do I get licensed properly." This article is for operators at exactly that stage.
If you are researching a Curaçao gaming licence in 2026 and the guide you are reading mentions sub-licences, master licence holders, or Antillephone, close the tab. That system ended in December 2024. The Curaçao gaming licence that exists now is a fundamentally different product
The most common question I get about Anjouan is some version of "what does it actually cost, all in, no surprises?" It is a reasonable question, and the fact that it is hard to answer from public sources is a real problem.
Most compliance consultancies operate on a custom scoping model. The client describes what they need, the consultant assesses the complexity, a proposal is written, and a fee is agreed. The stated justification is that every engagement is different...
The licence arrives and most operators celebrate. Then, within a few days, the reality sets in. There are reports to file, policies to maintain, a renewal to think about, and a regulator who expects to hear from you on a schedule you may not have fully read.
The honest answer is that neither licence is universally better. They serve different operators at different stages with different risk profiles and different budgets. What I will do in this article is lay out the actual differences as they stand in 2026.
Most guides to the Anjouan gaming licence start at the licence application form. They skip over the fact that you cannot submit that application without a company that already exists. The Anjouan IBC must be incorporated first.
You have the platform. You have the games, the payment processor, the brand. You sit down to look at the licence application and realise it is forty pages long, references four pieces of legislation you have never heard of, and expects a Board-approved AML policy within thirty days.
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