Antigua Online Gaming Association

The small state of Antigua and Barbuda can be considered the cradle of the modern world market of online gambling. More than twenty years ago, licenses for gambling and betting companies on the Internet were first issued here. Online gambling was in its infancy then. Since that time, many years have passed, and the Antigua Online Gaming Association regulator has experienced ups and downs. It is now home to many gambling companies.

Regulator licensed casinos

The Antigua Online Gaming Association licenses the following well-known gambling companies: 

• Continental Ventures Ltd.
• Coolidge Gaming Ltd.
• Coolidge Sports Ltd.
• Laxfield Services Ltd.
• PT Entertainment Services Limited

Gaming organizations licensed by AOGA under the laws of Antigua and Barbuda are issued a "Preferential seal" which provides the following:

• Directors and shareholders holding 5% or more of the company's shares have complied with personal and corporate due diligence requirements.
• The software on this site complies with internationally recognized standards of fairness.
• The company has its corporate headquarters and main server in Antigua and Barbuda.

Antigua Online Gaming Association review

Antigua Online Gaming Association was the first licensing body to license online gaming establishments in 1994. Antigua and Barbuda are two Islands in one small nation in the Caribbean Sea. Antigua and Barbuda are famous for winning a $3.4 billion lawsuit against the United States in the WTO.    

In the 1990s, Antigua generously granted its licenses to any operator that could meet at least the minimum standards. This led to many fraudulent online casinos appearing under the AOGA license. In the future, Antigua tightened regulatory standards, cleaned up its licensees, and became much stricter regarding gambling operators.

Now many of the companies operating on the island of Antigua and Barbuda are traded on various stock exchanges, in particular, on the London stock exchange.

Antigua approved British regulatory standards and was added to the UK's "White list," which allows companies licensed by AOGA to advertise in the UK. The Antigua Online Gaming Association's authority is currently quite high.

License types of Antigua Online Gaming Association

Antigua Online Gaming Association offers two types of licenses approved by the 2007 amendments to the rules of interactive gaming and interactive betting.

1. Interactive Gaming license - allows online casinos to offer casino games.
2. Interactive Wagering License - allows online bookmakers to offer bets on sports and other events.

The validity of any license lasts precisely one year. Once these licenses expire, they can be renewed.

It should be noted that the Antigua Online Gaming Association license is not the cheapest. After all sorts of hard checks, the game operator must pay the following amounts: 

• A Deposit of $15,000: This amount is non-refundable, even if the decision to issue a license is not made.
• Interactive registration fee: For those who work in sports betting, the cost is $75,000 per year.
• The cost of an interactive gaming license is $100,000 per year for those who work in online casinos.
• Annual renewal fee: A non-refundable renewal fee of $5,000 in addition to the yearly cost.
• Game reserve: The operator must transfer at least $100,000 to the account determined by the Commission. This reserve ensures that all players can win in any situation.
• The license fee for key people: The operator must pay a fee of $1,000 for each key person in the business during the first year of operation. Each subsequent year, the amount is $250 per person.
• System monitoring fee: AOGA has implemented a monitoring program to ensure the safety and fairness of online gaming. To cover the monitoring cost, the operator must pay $25,000 per year for one license and $45,000 for two licenses.
  

Dispute resolution

If you have any problems with an online gambling establishment that is a licensee of the Antigua Online Gaming Association, you can complain to the Association directly. However, first, try to solve your problem with managing an online casino. If you do not get a satisfactory result, visit the AOGA website and send them your complaint directly. Currently, the form for sending complaints is not working; it can be sent by e-mail at complaints@antiguagaming.gov.ag.

Conclusion

The small island nation of Antigua and Barbuda has entered the history of online gambling as the first jurisdiction to issue licenses to gaming institutions on the Internet. Now, the regulator is popular because Antigua and Barbuda effectively defends the rights of regulators, levies relatively small taxes, and imposes no restrictions on the jurisdictions where gambling companies can offer their services.