Is online gambling legal in Anguilla?

No law licenses it. The Criminal Code prohibits using any building or place for gambling, so operating from Anguilla is an offence, but the Code is framed around places and does not address residents playing with offshore operators. We record online casino, poker and sports betting as unregulated by omission.

Can an operator obtain a casino or gaming licence in Anguilla?

No. There is no casino, betting or online gaming licence. The Government proposed a Gaming Act and up to two members-only casinos in a March 2023 draft policy, but no bill has been published.

Who regulates gambling in Anguilla?

No one body. The Governor in Council permits public lotteries, the Permanent Secretary of Finance runs any Government lottery, the Comptroller of Inland Revenue collects lottery duty, and the Anguilla Financial Services Commission supervises licensed lotteries for anti-money laundering purposes.

What tax do lotteries pay?

Lottery duty of 10% of the ticket price under the Public Lotteries Tax Act, which the Governor in Council may remit for charitable and similar lotteries. The 2026 Estimates record EC$2.86 million of lottery levy receipts in 2024.

What would the proposed gaming regime look like?

The draft Gaming Policy proposes the Financial Services Commission as Gaming Commission, no more than two stand-alone members-only casinos, lottery, betting and personnel licences, a 15% tax on gross gaming revenue, 15% on winnings and a minimum age of 21 for gaming areas.

Dependency

Latin America

ISO AI

Anguilla: gambling regulation and licensing

Part of United Kingdom

Online casinoUnregulated
Online pokerUnregulated
Online sports bettingUnregulated
iLotteryNot yet verified
Land-based (reference)Prohibited

Regulator: Not yet verified
Headline tax: Not yet verified
Licence required: Yes
Last verified: 23 Sept 2026

Summary

Anguilla has no gambling licensing regime and no gambling regulator. The only lawful gambling is lottery play: a Government lottery that the Permanent Secretary of Finance may run under the Lotteries Act, and public lotteries, sweepstakes, raffles and pari-mutuel or pool betting that the Governor in Council has permitted in writing under the Public Lotteries Tax Act. Everything else is caught by section 346 of the Criminal Code, which makes it an offence to permit or be concerned in the use of any building or place for gambling, betting or a lottery, punishable by up to a year in prison or a fine of EC$1,000. The Code is framed around places and says nothing about remote gambling. No statute provides a licence for online casino, poker or sports betting, or for a land-based casino. The CFATF's 2024 mutual evaluation records that casinos are prohibited and none operate, and treats illegal gambling, including unlicensed lottery sales, as a high money laundering threat, with 11 prosecutions in its review period. Permitted lotteries pay lottery duty of 10% of the ticket price. The Government's 2026 Estimates record lottery levy receipts of EC$2.86 million in 2024 and budget EC$3.70 million for 2026. Licensed lotteries are service providers under the anti-money laundering regulations and are supervised by the Anguilla Financial Services Commission, which rated both of them high risk at the end of 2022. In March 2023 the Government published a draft Gaming Policy proposing an Anguilla Gaming Act, at most two members-only casinos, the Financial Services Commission as Gaming Commission, a 15% tax on gross gaming revenue and a minimum age of 21. The then Premier said in January 2025 that it was still under consultation, and no bill has been published.

Common pitfalls

Treating the 2023 draft Gaming Policy as law: it is a consultation draft, and no Gaming Act exists. Reading the 'Gaming Machines' entry in the business licence schedule as a gambling permission: a business licence does not lift the Criminal Code prohibition. Assuming the Anguilla Financial Services Commission licenses gambling: it supervises licensed lotteries for anti-money laundering purposes only. Treating lottery duty as a gaming tax: it is 10% of ticket price, not a charge on revenue.

Key facts

Regulator: Not yet verified
Regulator type: No dedicated regulator
Headline tax: Not yet verified
Licence required: Yes
Minimum age: Not yet verified
Tax base: Lottery duty only: 10% of the price of each lottery ticket, exclusive of the duty (Public Lotteries Tax Act s.3). A lottery ticket includes tickets in any lottery, sweepstake, raffle, pari-mutuel or pool betting and bingo cards sold apart from admission (s.1). There is no tax on gaming revenue or on online gambling: the 2026 Estimates carry a Gaming Revenue Tax line with nothing recorded or budgeted.

Legal framework

Primary statutes

Criminal Code, R.S.A. c. C140, section 346 (Gambling)
In force
Yes
Summary
The general gambling prohibition. Permitting or being concerned in the use of any building or place for gambling, betting or a lottery or sweepstake carries one year, EC$1,000 or both (s.346(1)); being found in such a place carries six months or EC$500 (s.346(6)); playing or betting at a gambling table or instrument in a public place carries three months or EC$250 (s.346(7)). Government lotteries and lotteries permitted or exempted under the Public Lotteries Tax Act are excluded (s.346(8)).
Public Lotteries Tax Act, R.S.A. c. P135
In force
Yes
Summary
Public lotteries, defined to include any game, method or device distributing money by chance to which the public has access, need the written permission of the Governor in Council (s.2). Charges lottery duty of 10% of each ticket price (s.3), collected by the Comptroller of Inland Revenue under written arrangements and monthly or per-draw returns (ss.4 to 7), with remission for charitable and similar lotteries (s.8).
Lotteries Act, R.S.A. c. L95
In force
Yes
Summary
Allows the Permanent Secretary of Finance to promote and conduct a Government lottery, fixing tickets, agents, prizes and draws (s.2). Net proceeds go to the Consolidated Fund (s.3) and accounts are audited and laid before the House of Assembly each year (s.5).

Secondary instruments

Lotteries Regulations, R.R.A. L95-1
In force
Yes
Summary
Government Lottery Committee of a chairman and at least six other members; ticket agents, who may not be Government officers, sign one-year agreements to buy at least 15 tickets per draw; tickets of ten portions with a face value of EC$2.50 sold to agents at EC$2.00; draws and results published in the Gazette; prizes claimable for six months.
Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Regulations, R.R.A. P98-1, Schedule 2
In force
Yes
Summary
A licensed lottery, meaning a lottery licensed by the Government to operate in Anguilla, is a service provider subject to the AML/CFT Regulations and Code (Schedule 2, para. 1(h)).
Licensing of Businesses Act, R.S.A. c. L57, Schedule 2
In force
Yes
Summary
Lists 'Lottery Agent' and 'Gaming Machines' among licensable business activities, each at a base annual fee of EC$1,000. The Act does not define either activity, and a business licence is not a permission under the Public Lotteries Tax Act.

Key amendments

1 Nov 2010Act 7/2010 in force: Government lottery proceeds and forfeited prizes are paid into the Consolidated Fund (Lotteries Act s.3; Lotteries Regulations reg. 15).

Pending legislation

Anguilla Gaming Act (proposed in the draft Gaming Policy)
Stage
Policy consultation only. The draft Gaming Policy was published in March 2023; no bill appears on the Government or Financial Services Commission legislation pages, and the 2026 Budget Address does not mention gaming.
What it changes
Would create a licensing regime with the Anguilla Financial Services Commission as Gaming Commission; allow no more than two members-only, stand-alone casino gaming clubs with table games and slot machines; provide lottery (including online lottery), betting and personnel licences; set a 15% levy on gross gaming revenue and 15% on winnings; and bar under-21s from gaming areas.

Licensing

Licence required: Yes
Application window: Not yet verified
Local establishment required: Not yet verified
Local server required: Not yet verified
Active licences: 2 (as of 31 Dec 2022)
Bank guarantee or bond: The Comptroller of Inland Revenue may require security for payment of lottery duty before tickets are sold (Public Lotteries Tax Act s.4(1)(a)).
Certification requirements: Before each Government lottery draw at least three members of the Government Lottery Committee inspect the drawing machine and the draw is open to the public (Lotteries Regulations reg. 11).
Barriers to entry: No licence exists for casinos, betting shops, gaming halls or any form of online gambling. Lottery permission is at the discretion of the Governor in Council. The count of two is the number of lotteries under Financial Services Commission AML supervision at 31 December 2022, reported by the CFATF.

Licence types

Permission to hold a public lottery (Governor in Council)
Scope
Organising, promoting or holding a public lottery, including sweepstakes, raffles, pari-mutuel or pool betting and bingo with separately sold cards (Public Lotteries Tax Act ss.1 and 2)
Fee basis
No application fee in the Act; 10% lottery duty on each ticket (s.3)
Renewal terms
Written application stating the number and price of tickets, prize values and the purposes of the net proceeds (s.2(2)); the Governor in Council is under no duty to grant permission (s.2(1))
Government lottery agent
Scope
Selling tickets in a Government lottery run by the Permanent Secretary of Finance (Lotteries Regulations regs 3 to 7)
Term
1 year
Fee basis
Agents buy at least 15 tickets per draw at EC$2.00 for a face value of EC$2.50 and may not return unsold tickets (regs 4, 5, 7 and 8)
Business licence: 'Lottery Agent'
Scope
Carrying on business as a lottery agent (Licensing of Businesses Act s.5 and Schedule 2, item 111)
Term
Calendar year; all licences expire on 31 December (s.10(4))
Application fee
XCD 50
Annual fee
XCD 1,000
Fee basis
Base annual fee EC$1,000 for an Anguillian; one and a half times the base fee for a non-Anguillian (s.10(2)); EC$50 non-refundable application fee (Schedule 2, Item B)
Renewal terms
Renewal application by 31 January each year (s.10(1))
Business licence: 'Gaming Machines'
Scope
Listed as a licensable business activity (Schedule 2, item 80) but not defined in the Act; it does not lift the Criminal Code s.346 prohibition on using premises for gambling
Term
Calendar year (s.10(4))
Annual fee
XCD 1,000
Fee basis
Base annual fee EC$1,000; one and a half times for a non-Anguillian (s.10(2))

Taxation

Headline GGR tax: Not yet verified
Effective date: Not yet verified
Turnover tax: 10%
Withholding mechanism: Lottery duty is paid by the organisers under written arrangements with the Comptroller, with returns within 7 days of a single lottery or by the 7th of each month for a series (ss.5 and 7).
Tax base: Lottery duty only: 10% of the price of each lottery ticket, exclusive of the duty (Public Lotteries Tax Act s.3). A lottery ticket includes tickets in any lottery, sweepstake, raffle, pari-mutuel or pool betting and bingo cards sold apart from admission (s.1). There is no tax on gaming revenue or on online gambling: the 2026 Estimates carry a Gaming Revenue Tax line with nothing recorded or budgeted.

Scheduled changes

15% of GGR from Consultation draft of March 2023; no bill published
Proposed
Draft Gaming Policy: annual gaming tax on gross gaming revenue for gaming club licensees
15% of winnings from Consultation draft of March 2023; no bill published
Proposed
Draft Gaming Policy: tax on winnings paid by winners of a gaming activity

Earmarked levies

Lottery duty: 10% of the ticket price; may be remitted in whole or part for lotteries whose net proceeds go to philanthropic, charitable, religious, educational or sporting purposes (s.8) (Consolidated Fund, via the Comptroller of Inland Revenue (s.6(1)))
Government lottery net proceeds: Ticket sales less prizes and approved deductions; unclaimed prizes forfeited after six months (Consolidated Fund (Lotteries Act s.3; Lotteries Regulations reg. 15))

Compliance

Minimum age: Not yet verified
National self-exclusion: Not yet verified
KYC timing: Threshold based for occasional transactions: EC$37,500 or more
AML regime: A licensed lottery is a service provider under Schedule 2 of the AML/CFT Regulations and registers with the Financial Services Commission as a non-regulated service provider. The CFATF 2024 evaluation rates illegal gambling a high money laundering threat and the lottery sector medium vulnerability; both supervised lotteries were rated high risk at 31 December 2022.
AML supervisor: Anguilla Financial Services Commission
KYC requirements: Licensed lotteries must apply customer due diligence under the AML/CFT Regulations and Code, including on occasional transactions of EC$37,500 or more, single or linked (Regulations reg. 2(2)(b)).
Stake limits: Not yet verified
Reporting obligations: Permitted lotteries file lottery duty returns with the Comptroller of Inland Revenue (Public Lotteries Tax Act s.7); Government lottery accounts are audited and laid before the House of Assembly by 30 June each year (Lotteries Act s.5).
Game content restrictions: Government lottery tickets must state the draw, ticket number and price, and the number and value of prizes (Lotteries Regulations reg. 9).

Advertising

Advertising permitted: Not yet verified
Penalties for breach: Fine of EC$1,250 on summary conviction (ss.2(3) and 4(2)).

Restrictions

Offering or advertising for sale or distribution any ticket in a public lottery without Governor in Council permission is an offence (Public Lotteries Tax Act s.2(3)(c))
Offering or advertising for sale a lottery ticket on which lottery duty has not been paid or arranged is an offence, with liability for double the duty (s.4(2))

Enforcement

ISP blocking: Not yet verified
DNS blocking: Not yet verified
Payment blocking: Not yet verified
App store takedowns: Not yet verified
Administrative penalties: Seizure of gambling instruments and appliances, money and securities found on searched premises (Criminal Code s.346(2)); the Business Licensing Board may issue a cessation notice to an unlicensed business and refer non-compliance to the police (Licensing of Businesses Act s.5(5) and (6)).
Criminal penalties: Permitting or being concerned in the use of premises for gambling, betting or a lottery: one year, EC$1,000 or both (Criminal Code s.346(1)). Holding, printing or selling tickets in an unpermitted public lottery: EC$1,250 (Public Lotteries Tax Act s.2(3)). Selling a Government lottery ticket above face value: EC$4,000 or two months (Lotteries Regulations reg. 8(3)).
Operator liability: Anyone who knowingly permits, or is concerned in, the use of a building or place for gambling, betting or an unpermitted lottery commits an offence (Criminal Code s.346(1)); organisers of a public lottery are liable for lottery duty offences committed by their agents unless they show they took all reasonable steps (Public Lotteries Tax Act s.11).
Player liability: A person found in premises used for gambling is deemed to be taking part and faces six months or EC$500 (Criminal Code s.346(6)); playing or betting at a gambling table or instrument in a public place carries three months or EC$250 (s.346(7)). No provision addresses players using offshore websites.

Notable actions

Two operators of an illegal Dominican Republic lottery at two locations2021
Joint Financial Intelligence Unit and Inland Revenue investigation using s.346 search powers; both pleaded guilty in the Magistrate's Court to charges including money laundering, and were fined and had cash forfeited (EC$2,703.44 and EC$10,001.19), as reported in the CFATF 2024 evaluation (Box 3.6)
Fine: XCD 2,000
Illegal lottery outlet run from a bar
Joint Financial Intelligence Unit, Customs and police search; three people arrested, US$7,577.02 in cash seized, and two charged under Criminal Code s.346(1), Public Lotteries Tax Act s.2(3)(a), the Proceeds of Crime Act and business licensing law (CFATF 2024 evaluation, Box 3.7)
Illegal gambling generally (CFATF 2024 evaluation, assessed as at the June to July 2023 on-site visit)
The CFATF records 13 illegal gambling investigations, 11 prosecutions and 10 convictions for the predicate offence, with 3 related money laundering prosecutions and 1 money laundering conviction

Timeline

1 Nov 2010
Act 7/2010 in force, directing Government lottery proceeds and forfeited prizes to the Consolidated Fund
Aug 2019
Government contracts The Innovation Group to carry out a gaming market assessment
31 Dec 2022
Revised Statutes 2022 consolidate the law in force: no gaming or casino Act; Criminal Code s.346 and the lottery Acts unchanged
16 Mar 2023
Government publishes the draft Gaming Policy for consultation, proposing an Anguilla Gaming Act 2023 and up to two members-only casinos
21 Mar 2023
Public consultation on the draft Gaming Policy held at the House of Assembly
26 Jun 2023
CFATF on-site visit for the fourth round mutual evaluation begins (to 7 July 2023)
Jul 2024
CFATF publishes the mutual evaluation, adopted at its June 2024 Plenary, recording that casinos are prohibited and illegal gambling is a high money laundering threat
20 Jan 2025
Premier Ellis Webster says the casino plans remain under review, with written consultation responses being gathered

Outlook

No gaming legislation is before the House of Assembly. The draft Gaming Policy of March 2023 has not become a bill, the 2026 Budget Address delivered by the Anguilla United Front government does not mention gaming, and the 2026 to 2028 Estimates budget nothing under the Gaming Revenue Tax line while projecting lottery levy receipts of EC$3.80 million in 2027 and EC$3.89 million in 2028. Any change would need a new Act, since the Criminal Code prohibition and the lottery permission system are unchanged in the 2022 Revision.

Frequently asked questions

Is online gambling legal in Anguilla?: No law licenses it. The Criminal Code prohibits using any building or place for gambling, so operating from Anguilla is an offence, but the Code is framed around places and does not address residents playing with offshore operators. We record online casino, poker and sports betting as unregulated by omission.
Can an operator obtain a casino or gaming licence in Anguilla?: No. There is no casino, betting or online gaming licence. The Government proposed a Gaming Act and up to two members-only casinos in a March 2023 draft policy, but no bill has been published.
Who regulates gambling in Anguilla?: No one body. The Governor in Council permits public lotteries, the Permanent Secretary of Finance runs any Government lottery, the Comptroller of Inland Revenue collects lottery duty, and the Anguilla Financial Services Commission supervises licensed lotteries for anti-money laundering purposes.
What tax do lotteries pay?: Lottery duty of 10% of the ticket price under the Public Lotteries Tax Act, which the Governor in Council may remit for charitable and similar lotteries. The 2026 Estimates record EC$2.86 million of lottery levy receipts in 2024.
What would the proposed gaming regime look like?: The draft Gaming Policy proposes the Financial Services Commission as Gaming Commission, no more than two stand-alone members-only casinos, lottery, betting and personnel licences, a 15% tax on gross gaming revenue, 15% on winnings and a minimum age of 21 for gaming areas.

Sources

Lotteries Act, R.S.A. c. L95 (law as at 15 December 2010, 2022 Revision)
Government of Anguilla, Attorney General's Chambers, Revised Statutes and Regulations of Anguilla (laws.gov.ai)
Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
Lotteries Regulations, R.R.A. L95-1 (law as at 15 December 2010, 2022 Revision)
Government of Anguilla, Attorney General's Chambers, Revised Statutes and Regulations of Anguilla (laws.gov.ai)
Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
Public Lotteries Tax Act, R.S.A. c. P135 (law as at 15 December 2010, 2022 Revision)
Government of Anguilla, Attorney General's Chambers, Revised Statutes and Regulations of Anguilla (laws.gov.ai)
Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
Criminal Code, R.S.A. c. C140 (law as at 15 December 2014, 2022 Revision), section 346 (Gambling)
Government of Anguilla, Attorney General's Chambers, Revised Statutes and Regulations of Anguilla (laws.gov.ai)
Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
Licensing of Businesses Act, R.S.A. c. L57 (law as at 31 December 2022), section 10 and Schedule 2
Government of Anguilla, Attorney General's Chambers, Revised Statutes and Regulations of Anguilla (laws.gov.ai)
Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
Interpretation and General Clauses Act, R.S.A. c. I25 (definition of "dollar" as the Eastern Caribbean dollar)
Government of Anguilla, Attorney General's Chambers, Revised Statutes and Regulations of Anguilla (laws.gov.ai)
Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
Externally and Non-Regulated Service Providers Regulations, R.R.A. P98-6 (law as at 31 December 2022)
Government of Anguilla, Attorney General's Chambers, Revised Statutes and Regulations of Anguilla (laws.gov.ai)
Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
Law Revision Library: 2022 Revision, showing the law as at 31 December 2022 (764 Acts and Regulations; no gaming, betting or casino Act listed)
Government of Anguilla, Attorney General's Chambers, Revised Statutes and Regulations of Anguilla (laws.gov.ai)
Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Regulations, R.R.A. P98-1 (law as at 31 December 2022)
Anguilla Financial Services Commission
Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
Document Library: Legislation (Acts and Regulations administered by the Commission, including 2026 instruments; no gaming legislation listed)
Anguilla Financial Services Commission
Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
Gaming Policy, draft for consultation review
Government of Anguilla
Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 16 Mar 2023
Government of Anguilla Recurrent and Capital Estimates 2026: 2026 to 2028 Estimates of Recurrent Revenue, Summary by Type and Standard Object (PDF page 68)
Government of Anguilla, Ministry of Finance
Tier 2Accessed 23 Sept 2026
2026 Budget Address: Moving Forward Together: People, Purpose, Prosperity
Government of Anguilla, Premier and Minister of Finance
Tier 2Accessed 23 Sept 2026
Anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing measures: Anguilla, Fourth Round Mutual Evaluation Report (adopted at the June 2024 CFATF Plenary)
Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF)
Tier 2Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published Jul 2024
Anguilla's measures to combat money laundering and terrorist financing (publication page; on-site visit 26 June to 7 July 2023)
Financial Action Task Force (FATF)
Tier 2Accessed 23 Sept 2026
Anguilla's casino plans remain under consultation two years later
Anguilla Focus
Tier 3Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 27 Jan 2025