Alderney - AGCC: licence categories

1) Who regulates and on what basis

Online gambling in Alderney is regulated by the Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC). Basic acts: Gambling (Alderney) Law 1999, Alderney eGambling Ordinance 2009 and Alderney eGambling Regulations 2009 (including relevant amendments).

2) Two basic eGambling licenses

Category 1 eGambling Licence - "players and relationships" (B2C)

Gives the right to organize and prepare gambling operations: registration/verification of players, contractual relations, management of players' funds. A company registered in Alderney is required to submit.

Category 2 eGambling License - "transactions and platform" (B2B/platforms)

Gives the right to carry out gambling transactions and operationally manage the platform hosted in an approved hosting center.

3) Associate Certificates - "out of Bailiwick of Guernsey" (equivalents for foreigners)

Category 1 Associate Certificate (out of Bailiwick)

A foreign company (without registration in Alderney) can legally conduct Cat 1 activities: registration/verification of players, agreement with them, management of their funds.

Category 2 Associate Certificate (out of Bailiwick)

A foreign company can carry out Cat 2 activities - transactions/operational management of the platform for working with alderney licensees. The AGCC website publishes the current list of Cat 1/2 Associate holders.

4) Core Services Associate - "game software providers" (content/engines)

Core Services Associate Certificate asserts the right of a third party to provide gambling-specific software (for example, games) to an Alderney licensee/associate. This is about B2B delivery of content/core, not about the relationship with the player.

5) Temporary eGambling Licence - "temporary launch"

Short-term permission with the same basic responsibilities as a full eGambling license (with exceptions defined by the regulator). Used for time-limited run/test; the register of provisional licensees is maintained by the AGCC.

6) Hosting Certificate - "site certification"

Certificate for the physical space provider/data center where the licensees/associates equipment is located. Mandatory for guernsey sites; The AGCC also publishes a list of recognized Hosting Providers.

7) Hosting and infrastructure: where servers should be

For licenses (not certificates), essential transaction functions are performed in an AGCC approved hosting center (Alderney/Guernsey or other AGCC approved). For Associate certificates, placement outside the Bailiwick is acceptable if the site/jurisdiction is approved. Approved cloud solutions are also available.

8) What to choose: A quick guide

Want to keep players/accounts for yourself and work from Alderney → Category 1 License (+ if necessary Category 2 for your platform).
You are a platform/RGS/cash layer, processing transactions in an approved data center → Category 2 License.
You are an operator or platform outside of Bailiwick, want to connect to the AGCC ecosystem without registering a company in Alderney → Category 1 Associate and/or Category 2 Associate.
You are a game/engine developer and deliver content to AGCC → Core Services Associate licensees.
Need limited test/temporary activity → Temporary eGambling License.
You are a data center/hosting provider in Bailiwick → Hosting Certificate.

9) Procedural bases (in a nutshell)

Cat 1/2 licenses require a local company and publication of a notice in the Alderney Gazette (template - in regulations); next, feeding the packet to the AGCC.
For Associate/Core Services/Hosting/Temporary - submission according to the relevant AGCC forms/guides. Additionally, instructions/notes/guidelines are available, including current AML/CFT manuals (May 2024).

10) Cost and fiscal environment (very briefly)

The official Fees section is maintained by AGCC; AlderneyGambling promo portal also works with visual tables for annual payments for Cat 1/2 and Associate (link to Net Gaming Yield). Alderney has zero corporation tax and no gaming duty; payload is the annual fees for your category. Check the current tables before budgeting.

11) Legal and methodological support

Legislation hub (AGCC): basic laws/ordinances/regulations (including updates 2018 and 2024 on PF/sanctions).
Guidance hub (AGCC): Instructions, notifications and guides, including AML/CFT Guidance (May 2024).

Short conclusion

• Cat 1 - player/contract/funds; Cat 2 - Transactions/Platform.
• Their Associate counterparts are for work outside of Bailiwick.
• Core Services Associate - delivery of gaming software to licensees.
• Temporary - short-term launch, Hosting - site certification.

The choice of combination depends on where you place the critical infrastructure, who owns the relationship with the player and whether a local company is needed. Before submitting, check the current regulations, guides and Fees section on the AGCC website.