Anjouan Licence Register Growth Makes Counterfeit Casino Checks Urgent

Anjouan has become one of the fastest-moving names in offshore iGaming licensing, and that growth now carries a player-facing warning. Yogonet reported on July 6 that the island’s public register had moved from a niche list to roughly 1,400 active licence holders, while counterfeit licence risk has grown alongside the real register.

The player lesson is not that every Anjouan-labelled casino is the same. It is that a licence badge is no longer enough. A site can display a certificate, mention Anjouan in its footer, or link to a page that looks official. None of that replaces a register check against the company name, licence number, current status and permitted domains.

Growth makes verification more important, not less

Yogonet’s analysis said Anjouan’s model is attractive because one licence can cover casino, sportsbook, poker and crypto gaming, with lower costs and faster issuance than major European regimes. That operator appeal explains the volume. It also explains why a market of intermediaries, lookalike websites and aggressive licence sellers can confuse players who only want to know whether a casino is supervised by anyone real.

The official Anjouan Gaming site says the authority maintains a public register and publishes enforcement information. A careful player should use that as the starting point, not the casino footer. If the casino name does not match the listed company, if the domain is absent, if the status is unclear, or if the certificate comes from a different-looking “regulator” site, stop before the cashier.

TopGamb readers can put this beside our guides to regulated iGaming markets, online gambling safety, casino KYC checks, cashier testing before bonuses and loss limits. The common habit is simple: verify the boring parts before the promotion turns the decision emotional.

The counterfeit problem is not only an operator problem

ABC News reported in December 2025 on fake gambling and financial licences sold in Anjouan’s name, while Le Monde later described wider concerns around Comoros-linked online casino structures and player protection. Those reports should matter to players because licence confusion usually appears at the worst moment: after a big win, during a withdrawal delay, or when a complaint needs a real escalation route.

Offshore licensing can also be misunderstood by country. A casino may hold a certificate somewhere and still be illegal to offer online casino games where the player lives. That is why the register check is only one layer. Players should also check local legality, payment ownership, bonus terms, complaint options, responsible-gambling tools and whether the operator names the same company across its footer, terms and privacy policy.

During the World Cup, this risk becomes easier to miss. A sportsbook-casino hybrid can use live markets, football promotions and quick crypto deposits to make account creation feel urgent. A licence check feels slow when a match is about to start. That is exactly when it should be mandatory.

A useful one-minute check

Before depositing, search the licence number and legal company name in the public register. Match the listed domain to the domain in the browser, not just to a brand name. Confirm whether the licence is active, suspended, expired or restricted. Then read the withdrawal and complaint sections of the terms. If any step depends on trusting a screenshot, a PDF certificate, a Telegram agent or a third-party seller, skip the site.

Responsible gambling starts before money moves. Do not use a licence claim as a reason to deposit more, chase a bonus or keep playing after a loss. If a site cannot make its legal identity clear, it has not earned a small test deposit, let alone a tournament bankroll.

Sources

• Yogonet: Anjouan's register crossed 1,400 licensees and counterfeit risk is growing
• Anjouan Gaming: Internet Gaming Regulatory Authority
• ABC News: operators issuing fake corporate licences in Anjouan's name
• Le Monde: online casino ecosystem in the Comoros

Reader Questions

Does an Anjouan licence make an online casino legal everywhere?

No. A licence claim must be checked against the issuing register, and players still need to confirm whether online casino or betting access is legal in their own location.

What is the first red flag?

The clearest red flag is a licence number, company name or domain that does not match the public register. A professional-looking certificate is not enough.