Licence fees are the most visible cost of entering a regulated gambling market, and the easiest to compare. They are rarely the largest cost. This page sets out the published fee structures of twelve jurisdictions alongside licence terms and headline gambling taxes, then explains what the figures leave out.
Important: fees change — check with the regulator
The figures below were compiled from regulators’ published fee schedules and reputable legal and trade sources available in October 2026. Fees are indexed, revised and restructured regularly, and several jurisdictions are mid-reform. They are provided for orientation only. Anyone budgeting for an application must confirm current fees, taxes and conditions directly with the relevant regulator and take local legal advice.
The comparison table
| Jurisdiction (regulator) | Application fee | Annual / periodic fee | Licence term | Headline online tax | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malta (MGA) | €5,000 | €25,000 fixed (B2C) plus a compliance contribution based on gaming revenue, with minimums and caps | Up to 10 years | 5% gaming tax on revenue from Malta-based players | B2B fees are tiered by revenue |
| Isle of Man (GSC) | £5,250 | £36,750 full licence; £52,500 network services; £5,250 sub-licence | Ongoing, subject to annual fee | Low online gambling duty on GGR | Fees effective since July 2023 |
| Gibraltar (Gambling Commissioner / Licensing Authority) | Not verified | £100,000 B2C remote; £85,000 B2B (current framework) | Not verified | Not verified | A new Gambling Bill passed first reading in March 2026; new tiered fees are expected via regulations |
| Curaçao (CGA) | €4,592 | €47,450 B2C; €24,490 B2B (annual oversight fee) | Not verified | Not verified | First-year fees billed in two six-month instalments |
| United Kingdom (Gambling Commission) | £8,185 to £165,069 by GGY band (remote casino) | £7,000 to £1,453,949+ by GGY band | Indefinite while annual fees are paid | Remote gaming duty 40% of gross gaming yield from 1 April 2026 | New fees from 1 October 2026; first annual fee reduced 25% |
| Canada — Ontario (AGCO / iGaming Ontario) | Included in registration fee | C$100,000 per site, per year (AGCO registration) | Annual | Operators retain 80% of NGR; 20% goes to iGaming Ontario under the operating agreement | Separate supplier registration applies |
| Sweden (Spelinspektionen) | SEK 230,000 for commercial online gambling or betting | Annual supervision fees apply | Up to 5 years | 22% of GGR since 1 July 2024 | Fee set in a 2023 ordinance |
| Denmark (Spillemyndigheden) | DKK 343,300 (casino); DKK 480,600 (casino and betting combined) | DKK 73,200 to DKK 6,447,500 by prior-year GGR band | Up to 5 years | 28% of GGR | 2026 figures; indexed annually |
| Germany (GGL) | Banded percentage of expected stakes; no single flat fee | Follow-on fees and system usage charges | 5 years (first permit) | 5.3% of stakes on virtual slots and online poker | Security deposit / bank guarantee required |
| Netherlands (Kansspelautoriteit) | €61,300 from 1 April 2026 (previously €48,000) | Supervision levy applies | 5 years | 37.8% of GGR in 2026 | Fee increase reflects indexation |
| Italy (ADM) | Concession price €7 million (€4m on award, €3m at start of operations) | Annual concession fee of 3% of net revenue, plus a responsible gambling contribution | 9 years | Roughly a quarter of GGR for remote betting and casino under the 2025 reform | Licences awarded in the 2025 tender; no open window |
| Spain (DGOJ) | Administrative fees set by law; guarantees required per licence | Regulatory fee applies | General licence 10 years; singular licences shorter | 20% of GGR | Applications only during official calls |
“Not verified” means we could not confirm a current figure from an official or reliable source at the time of writing.
How fee designs differ
Flat fees. Malta, the Isle of Man and Curaçao charge flat or near-flat fees. This makes them predictable, and is part of why hub licensing has been attractive to start-ups and B2B suppliers.
Revenue-banded fees. The UK and Denmark scale annual fees with the operator’s gross gambling revenue. In the UK, a remote casino operator with GGY under £250,000 pays £7,000 a year; one above £1.6 billion pays over £1.45 million plus increments. This aligns regulatory funding with the operator’s footprint.
Stake-based fees. Germany calculates permit fees as a banded percentage of expected stakes, which makes the fee depend on projected business volume rather than a fixed price.
Concession pricing. Italy’s limited-number concessions are effectively purchased at a fixed price of €7 million each for nine years. New Zealand’s online casino licence rights are being allocated by auction, so the price is set by bidders.
Revenue share with a Crown agency. Ontario’s model is unusual: private operators register with the regulator and sign an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario, a Crown agency, which takes a share of net gaming revenue rather than levying a conventional tax.
Newly opening markets
| Market | Headline cost item | Status (October 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Finland | €29,000 non-refundable processing fee per application | Applications open in 2026; services may start no earlier than 1 July 2027 |
| New Zealand | Licence rights allocated by ascending auction (up to 15) | Auction scheduled for 29 September 2026; full licensing expected in 2027 |
| Brazil | R$30 million authorisation fee for five years | Regulated market live since January 2025; betting tax rising from 12% towards 18% by 2028 |
What licence fees leave out
A realistic budget includes far more than the figures above:
- Gambling taxes — usually the largest single cost. A 37.8% Dutch tax or 40% UK remote gaming duty dwarfs any licence fee. See gambling taxation compared.
- Guarantees and capital requirements — Germany and Spain require security deposits; several regulators require segregation or protection of player funds.
- Certification and audits — platform and game testing by approved laboratories, plus periodic external audits.
- Integration costs — connecting to national self-exclusion registers, central monitoring systems and data vaults.
- People — local key function holders, compliance, AML and safer gambling staff.
- Professional fees — legal, accounting and licensing advisers.
- Responsible gambling levies — for example Italy’s contribution and the UK’s statutory levy.
Comparing like with like
Three cautions when using any licensing cost comparison:
- Different licences cover different products. A UK remote casino licence does not include betting; a Danish casino licence does not include betting unless combined.
- Different fees fall due at different times. Some are payable on application, others on approval, others annually in arrears.
- Hub licences are not market access. A Malta or Curaçao licence does not authorise targeting players in the UK, Germany or other point-of-consumption markets.
For the end-to-end process, see how to obtain a gambling licence and the market entry checklist.
Frequently asked questions
Which jurisdiction has the cheapest gambling licence?
On headline fees, hub jurisdictions such as Curaçao and the Isle of Man are lower than most national licences, but a hub licence does not authorise activity in markets that require their own licence.
Are these all the costs of holding a licence?
No. Gambling taxes, guarantees, testing and certification, legal advice, local staff and compliance technology usually cost far more than the licence fees themselves.
Why does the UK have so many fee bands?
UK fees scale with gross gambling yield, so small operators pay much less than large ones. New fees took effect on 1 October 2026.
How often do licence fees change?
Regularly. Denmark indexes fees annually, the Netherlands raised its application fee from 1 April 2026, and the UK revised fees in October 2026.