Alderney AGCC Alderney Gambling Control Commission
This is the online gambling regulator of Alderney, a small island in the English Channel. Founded in 2000, it is considered a costly but trusted "whitelist" jurisdiction, with annual fees by revenue tier and a requirement to host servers locally.
| English | Alderney Gambling Control Commission |
|---|---|
| Classification | Licenses & Regulation |
| Founded | May 2000 |
| Legal basis | Gambling (Alderney) Law 1999 |
| Chairman | Lord Faulkner of Worcester |
| Location | St Anne, Alderney (Channel Islands) |
| Political status | Part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown Dependency |
| Licenses | Category 1 (B2C) / Category 2 (B2B) / Temporary |
| Initial application fee | £17,500 (for first-time applicants) |
| Category 1 annual renewal | £35,000 to £400,000 (by revenue tier) |
| Category 2 annual renewal | £35,000 |
| Key feature | Servers and platforms hosted locally or at an approved facility |
Overview
The Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC) is the online gambling regulator for Alderney, an island in the Channel Islands. Alderney is a small island of about 2,000 people that falls under the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown Dependency. It is not part of the UK but a self-governing territory with its own laws, so it can write its own gambling legislation.
Alderney passed its Gambling Law in 1999 and launched the AGCC as an independent regulator in May 2000. On behalf of the Alderney government, the AGCC oversees online gambling (eGaming) and checks a broad range of areas, including fund management, payment of winnings, software fairness, and prevention of criminal involvement.
History
License types
| Type | Audience |
|---|---|
| Class 1 eGaming license | Operators that register and manage players directly (B2C) |
| Class 2 eGaming license | Platform and hosting companies that actually run the games (B2B) |
| Temporary eGambling license | For trial operation before a full license, £10,000 per year |
In addition, key service providers and business associates working with operators must also obtain separate certificates.
Cost
The initial application fee is £17,500 for a company doing business in Alderney for the first time and £35,000 otherwise. For a Category 1 license, the annual renewal fee varies with net gaming revenue.
| Tier | Annual net gaming revenue | Class 1 renewal fee |
|---|---|---|
| A | Under £500,000 | £35,000 |
| B | £500,000 to £1 million | £60,000 |
| C | £1 million to £5 million | £80,000 |
| D | £5 million to £7.5 million | £130,000 |
| E | £7.5 million to £20 million | £200,000 |
| F | £20 million to £30 million | £290,000 |
| G | £30 million or more | £400,000 |
The Class 2 license renewal fee is a flat £35,000, plus an extra £3,000 per year for each business partner. Because costs rise with revenue, the burden is greater for larger operators.
Highlights
Alderney requires game servers and platforms to be located on the island or in approved facilities. Because the regulator can inspect the actual equipment directly, trust is high. The trade-off is heavier costs and procedures, so the number of license holders is small.
Together with the Isle of Man and Gibraltar, it is classed as a “white list” jurisdiction close to the UK, so it used to be popular with companies aiming to enter the UK market. Since 2014, accepting UK players has required a separate UKGC license, so Alderney now mainly serves as a platform and B2B hub.
Comparison with other jurisdictions
| Category | Alderney | Isle of Man | Malta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scale | Small and select | Medium | Large-scale |
| Server requirements | Local or approved facilities | Locally focused | Flexible |
| Cost structure | Flat fee by revenue tier | Flat fee + tax | Flat fee + revenue-based |
Location
Alderney is a Channel Islands island off the coast of Normandy, France, and is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown Dependency.