Comoros Asks UK For Help Over Anjouan Licences
The government of Comoros has asked the UK government and its law enforcement bodies for help in tackling an offshore gambling licensing network that trades under the name of Anjouan, one of the country's three main islands.
The Central Bank of the Comoros says the regime is illegal and the government is preparing judicial action at home.
Anjouan licences do not authorise operators to serve players in Britain, where a UK Gambling Commission licence is required, as held by the online casinos we cover. The request was reported by The Guardian on October 19, 2026.
What Comoros Told The Guardian
According to the Guardian investigation, the Comoros government said British citizens have been identified in connection with the unauthorised licensing regime. It added that international cooperation was under way on both financial intelligence and police collaboration.
The government said this included a direct request for help from the UK government and its law enforcement bodies. A UK Treasury spokesperson declined to comment when approached by the newspaper.
A spokesperson for the Central Bank of the Comoros described the regime as illegal activity by people abusively using the name of the Comoros Islands to give themselves apparent legitimacy. The spokesperson called it a serious concern for the country's efforts to guard against money laundering and terrorist financing.
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Why The Anjouan Register Is Disputed
The Guardian reported that nearly 1,500 gaming licence holders appear on the public register of the Anjouan Gaming Authority, many of them focused on crypto gambling. The body says its governing authority is the Anjouan Offshore Financial Authority and that it was set up under Comoros law.
The Comoros government rejects that. In an earlier investigation, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that the Anjouan Offshore Financial Authority was created by Anjouan's separatist government in the late 1990s and lost its status as a recognised regulator under banking laws passed in 2013 and 2015.
The ABC added that the Comoros Central Bank had issued repeated warnings, including a 2023 statement describing several Anjouan bodies as fictitious structures. Despite that, the register has continued to grow.
Licences Sold For Around £19,000
The Guardian said businesses seeking an Anjouan licence are directed to a company called Anjouan Corporate Services, which advertised its services from £19,000. An analyst at Eilers and Krejcik Gaming told the paper that a licence gives operators a degree of reassurance, which can make banks and payment providers more comfortable doing business with them.
One industry source quoted by the paper contrasted the cost with a Curaçao licence, saying an Anjouan licence could cost around £20,000 against £80,000. A company linked to the licensing agent told the Guardian that it does not sell or issue gaming licences, and that other providers were involved in offering Anjouan gaming licences.
What It Means For UK Players
The Guardian reported that several Anjouan licensees are promoted online as not being on GamStop, the national self-exclusion scheme that UK-licensed operators must apply. In its own test, the newspaper signed up with one such casino and placed bets, after which the operator contacted it more than 100 times by phone and email with offers to bet again.
Nothing in the reporting shows that UK authorities have opened a criminal case. For now the story to watch is whether the UK government responds to the request and whether Comoros brings the court action it has said is being prepared.
