Anjouan Casino Licences Are Sold in a Name the State Rejects
Anjouan, an autonomous Comoros island of 327,000 people, has issued an estimated 1,200+ online gambling licences. The central bank says some licensees have no presence there. The post Anjouan Casino Licences Are Sold in a Name the State Rejects appeared first on The Rio Times .
The Comorian central bank has rejected over a thousand issued Anjouan casino licences, claiming the issuing authority is fictitious and does not legally exist. The licences are being sold online by entities such as the Anjouan Offshore Finance Authority, Anjouan Corporate Services, and Anjouan Licensing Services. These entities market their licences with low fees, no taxes, and quick turnaround times, making them attractive to online gambling operators.
However, the central bank and former attorney general have called the current licensing entity illegal, and the claimed legal basis for the licences is a non-existent Computer Gaming Licensing Act. The licences fail to meet the credibility standards of a regulated gaming jurisdiction, as they lack segregation of player funds, a robust complaints route, and a public register for verification.
The Comorian government does not recognize the licenses, and the central bank has described the issuing entities as operating illegally online to defraud people. The absence of mention of gaming, gambling, casinos, or licensing in the IMF's recent report on the Comoros suggests that the licensing revenue does not significantly contribute to the country's economy.
Growth in the Comorian economy was estimated at 3.8% in 2025, with inflation falling to 3.5%. Remittances are the single largest external flow, accounting for 18.9% of GDP in 2024 and 18.1% in 2025.
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