What is a Seychelles gambling / gaming licence?

A Seychelles gambling licence authorises a company to legally operate gambling activities under the Gambling Act 2014. It is regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) - the same body that oversees the country's financial services - and not by a standalone gambling board. The framework was overhauled by the Seychelles Gambling (Interactive Gambling) Rules 2024, which gave the FSA proper supervisory tools over online operators. There are three main licence categories: land-based casino, slot machine, and interactive (online) gambling. For international operators, the interactive licence is the one that matters - it covers online casino, betting and gaming run from a Seychelles-registered company.

Why choose Seychelles for a gambling licence?

• Recognised online gambling regime - a dedicated interactive licence under a 2024-modernised framework, regulated by the FSA.

• Lower entry cost than tier-1 hubs - capital and fee requirements are a fraction of Malta, Isle of Man or the UK.

• Favourable tax treatment - structured correctly, a Seychelles operator pays no Seychelles tax on gaming income earned outside the country.

• One regulator, one office - the FSA handles incorporation oversight and the gambling licence from the same place in Victoria.

• Remote setup - the company and application are handled without you travelling to Seychelles, though the operation itself needs genuine local substance.

Who is it for?

Good fit:

• online casino and iGaming operators

• sports betting and pool betting platforms

• gaming studios launching their own player-facing brand

• Web3 / crypto-gaming projects that need a regulated base

Not a fit: anyone who can't meet the capital, bond and local-substance requirements, or who wants a tier-1 badge (Malta MGA, UKGC) for regulated EU and UK markets. If you're early-stage and only testing an idea, an unlicensed company won't let you legally take player funds - the licence is mandatory for that, so talk to us before you commit.

What it actually costs - read this first

Most pages quote a single low number. We won't. Our engagement fee - incorporation, application assembly, review and FSA liaison - starts at US$15,000. That is a small fraction of the real cost of getting and running a licensed gambling operation. You also need to budget for the EUR 75,000 minimum authorised capital, a EUR 30,000 bank deposit or guarantee to cover player winnings and fees, the FSA's annual licence fee of SCR 300,000 (typically around US$22,000), servers physically located in Seychelles, a local office, certified gaming software, local directors, a compliance officer and ongoing AML obligations. A realistic all-in budget for a live, compliant operator commonly runs from the mid-six figures into seven figures depending on the gambling activity. If your budget is below that, the licence isn't the right step yet - and we'll tell you so.

What the FSA Requires

• A Seychelles company as the operating entity (an IBC or a company relocated to Seychelles - a purely foreign-incorporated company does not qualify)

• Minimum authorised capital of EUR 75,000 (typically; confirmed at consultation against current rules)

• A bank deposit or bank guarantee of EUR 30,000 as security for player winnings and fees

• At least two directors and two shareholders, all of whom must pass the FSA's fit-and-proper test

• A physical office in Seychelles

• Gaming servers physically located in Seychelles

• Independent third-party certification of your gaming software and random number generator

• A designated compliance officer and a full AML/CFT framework - written policies, KYC, transaction monitoring, and Player Session and Significant Event Reports

• A detailed business plan, financial projections, payout ratios and payment-system details

• Fit-and-proper documents for each director and beneficial owner: certified passport, CV, police clearance, references and proof of source of funds