Study: Surge in Offshore Gambling Licenses Poses Threats to Sports Integrity and Player Protection

More than 20 jurisdictions now offer offshore licenses for online gambling, with several new licensing regimes emerging in response to tighter regulation in Curaçao, the Philippines, and the Isle of Man.

These are the findings of journalist Steve Menary and researcher Marko Begović in their study “Mapping Offshore Gambling Regulators,” published by Next.io. The research was supported by the Bristol Hub for Gambling Harms Research and funded through a Research Innovation Fund grant.

The authors note that many of the new jurisdictions operate with minimal oversight, issue licenses at low cost and within accelerated timeframes. They warn that the expansion of such “pseudo-regulators” undermines player protection and sports integrity, while creating opportunities for money laundering and match-fixing.

Among the new licensing hubs is Anjouan (Comoros), which by May 2025 had issued 825 active licenses. The jurisdiction imposes no gross gaming revenue (GGR*) tax, and the licensing process takes just two to three weeks.

Other emerging regions include Timor-Leste and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, both of which have recently passed legislation to allow operators targeting foreign markets.

According to the dispute resolution platform Casino Guru, unresolved player complaints against operators licensed in Anjouan rose by 90% in 2024, reaching 148 cases. The complaints primarily involved account blocks, delayed withdrawals, and issues related to self-exclusion.

The study highlights that most of the new offshore jurisdictions lack alternative dispute resolution mechanisms involving independent mediators to handle player grievances.

Ownership transparency was another focus: while established offshore regulators require disclosure of ultimate beneficial owners, Anjouan applies only minimal due diligence.

* Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR): a financial metric calculated as total stakes minus total winnings paid out.