Decision guide // Nevis vs Antigua

Nevis vs Antigua Gaming License

The modern, light, low-cost licence against the oldest and most established name in offshore gaming. The trade is pedigree versus price.

Head to head // the axes that matter

	NevisModern, light, low-cost	AntiguaEstablished, premium, pedigree
First-year cost	~€34,400 base (€28,000/yr licence + formation + reporting officer).	~US$140,000+ year one: US$100,000 licence + US$15,000 due diligence + US$25,000 monitoring, plus a US$100,000 refundable player reserve. Roughly 4 to 5x Nevis.
Reputation & track record	New (2025 Ordinance) but FATF-whitelisted and built to a modern standard.	One of the oldest gaming jurisdictions (since 1994), regulated as financial institutions by the FSRC. Three decades of banking credibility.
Substance requirements	Light: a Nevis-resident Reporting Officer. No office, local staff, or local servers.	Heavier: a local IBC, core gaming servers physically on-island, plus the US$100,000 reserve and monthly/quarterly reporting.
Banking & credibility	FATF-whitelisted and marketed on banking acceptance. Credible for a budget licence.	Long-established banking pedigree; licensees are treated as regulated financial institutions, which acquirers respect.
Market access	Excludes the US, UK, Australia and Tier-1 EU, plus FATF-blacklisted.	Historically UK-whitelisted and reciprocal with Kahnawake, but since the 2014 UK Act you still need a UKGC licence to actually serve UK players. Not recognised in the US.
Time to live	8 to 12 weeks (NOGA targets 4 to 6 from a complete file).	8 to 12 weeks (60-day statutory decision target).
Tax	0% on gaming revenue, offshore corporate income, and VAT.	Low: broadly tax-favourable, with a reported levy on net win. Confirm the current treatment directly.
Best for	Operators who want a credible, FATF-clean licence cheaply, with a light setup.	Operators who want the most established offshore name and banking pedigree, and can carry 4 to 5x the cost.

Nevis wins decisively on cost and setup. Antigua wins on track record and pedigree. Both are credible, which is the real point: this is a choice within the credible tier, not between a good and a bad licence. If banking is your deciding factor, see which licence actually gets you banked.

The verdict // which one for you

Nevis wins for you if

Cost matters: you would rather not pay 4 to 5x for pedigree.
You want a light setup with no on-island servers or local staff.
FATF-whitelisted credibility at ~€28,000 a year fits your plan.
You are launching lean and want to move without a six-figure outlay.

Antigua wins for you if

You want the oldest, most established offshore name and its banking pedigree.
A six-figure year-one cost is acceptable for maximum credibility.
You can run core gaming servers on-island and hold the US$100,000 reserve.
Your strategy values three decades of regulatory track record.

Weighing Nevis against the cheaper or the more recognised options too? See Nevis vs Anjouan and Curacao vs Nevis, or start from how to choose an offshore licence. If your markets are Tier-1 regulated (the UK, Germany and the like), none of these fit, and that is a tier-1 or local-licence conversation.

Find the licence that actually fits your case

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Matching is free, with an optional managed service from £2,490 (one track) to £4,990 (the full journey). The provider pays our referral, never you.

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Common questions

Is Nevis or Antigua cheaper?

Nevis, by a wide margin. Nevis runs around €34,400 year one on a ~€28,000 annual licence. Antigua's Interactive Gaming licence is US$100,000 a year, plus US$15,000 due diligence, US$25,000 monitoring, and a refundable US$100,000 player reserve, so year one is roughly US$140,000 and up. Antigua costs about four to five times Nevis.

Which has the better reputation, Nevis or Antigua?

Antigua has the longer track record: it has licensed online gaming since 1994 and treats licensees as regulated financial institutions, which carries real banking credibility. Nevis is new (a 2025 framework) but FATF-whitelisted and built to a modern standard. For pure pedigree, Antigua leads; for FATF-clean credibility at a fraction of the cost, Nevis is compelling.

Can an Antigua licence let me serve UK players?

Not on its own. Antigua holds a historic place on the UK 'white list', which is a heritage credibility marker, but since the 2014 UK Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act any operator transacting with UK players needs a UK Gambling Commission licence regardless of jurisdiction. Treat Antigua's UK status as reputational, not as a route into the UK market.

Which is easier to set up and run?

Nevis. It needs only a resident Reporting Officer, with no office, local staff, or on-island servers. Antigua requires a local company, core gaming servers physically on the island, a US$100,000 reserve, and ongoing monthly and quarterly reporting. Nevis is the lighter operational footprint by some distance.

Nevis or Antigua, which should I choose?

Choose Nevis for a credible, FATF-whitelisted licence at low cost with a light setup, which suits most operators. Choose Antigua if you specifically want the most established offshore name and banking pedigree and can carry a six-figure year-one cost and on-island servers. In short: Nevis is the modern value play; Antigua is the established premium one.

Sources & verification

Verified 9 June 2026. Antigua figures from the Financial Services Regulatory Commission (FSRC) official fee schedule and named-industry sources: US$100,000 Interactive Gaming licence, US$15,000 due diligence, US$25,000 monitoring, US$100,000 refundable reserve, regulated under the Interactive Gaming and Interactive Wagering Regulations since 1994. Tax treatment varies across sources, so confirm directly. The UK "white list" is a heritage status; the 2014 UK Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act means a UKGC licence is still required to serve UK players. Nevis figures from the NOGA framework under the Nevis Online Gaming Ordinance 2025; the framework is new and figures vary, so confirm directly. This page is positioning and qualification content, not legal advice.