TLDR
- Anjouan’s gaming regulator has enhanced its licence conditions and strengthened application requirements.
- The move follows the FATF’s “Risks of Gaming and Gambling” report, published on September 9.
- The FATF warned that casinos and sports betting remain exposed to money laundering risks.
- Online platforms that accept cash, e-wallets, mobile money and virtual assets were flagged for fast, anonymous transactions.
- The regulator said strong KYC and ongoing due diligence are “the baseline” for its licensees.
The gaming regulator of Anjouan has tightened its licensing rules. The move follows a new report from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on the risks tied to gaming and gambling.
Anjouan is an autonomous island in the Comoros, located in the Indian Ocean. Its regulator issues internet gaming licences to online operators.
The regulator shared the update in a post on LinkedIn. It said licence conditions have been enhanced and application requirements have been strengthened.
The changes are meant to keep Anjouan in line with global anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing standards. These are often called AML/CFT standards.
What the FATF Report Found
The FATF is an international body that sets standards to fight money laundering and terrorist financing. It published its “Risks of Gaming and Gambling” report on September 9.
The report said gambling and gaming platforms have become part of a wider value-transfer ecosystem. These systems often cross borders and use many different payment methods.
It warned that casinos and sports betting remain especially exposed to money laundering risks.
Online platforms also face weak points, the report said. This applies to sites that accept cash, e-wallets, mobile money and virtual assets, such as cryptocurrencies.
According to the FATF, these payment methods allow fast and anonymous transactions. That speed and privacy can make it harder to trace where money comes from.
The report also pointed to the growing overlap between gambling platforms and social media. It said this link can be used for illegal advertising and for recruiting money mules. In some cases, it could also be used for terrorist financing.
This is not the first time the Anjouan regulator has spoken publicly about its licences. Months earlier, public commentary questioned the legal reach of its internet gaming licences.
In response, the regulator said its permits are issued under the framework of the Autonomous Island of Anjouan. It said they are not a blanket approval to operate everywhere.
“An Anjouan Internet Gaming Licence is not, and has never been presented as, a universal authorization to operate in every country in the world,” the regulator said on LinkedIn at the time.
Regulator Says KYC Is the Baseline
In its latest post, the regulator said the FATF report supports the standards it already expects from licensees.
“FATF’s newly published ‘Risks of Gaming and Gambling’ report reinforces the standards we hold licensees to: robust KYC and ongoing due diligence aren’t optional in this industry, they’re the baseline,” it said.
KYC stands for “know your customer.” It refers to checks that confirm the identity of users.
The regulator said it acted because of what the report found. “In light of the report’s findings, we’ve enhanced our licence conditions and strengthened our application requirements to stay aligned with evolving global AML/CFT standards,” the statement read.
