Antigua and Barbuda Online Gambling Jurisdictions

The twin island state of Antigua and Barbuda, in the Caribbean, became independent in 1981, having previously been under British rule.

The state continued to practice a tradition of English Common Law, and its legislative framework is largely based on similar principles to Britain’s.

Following its enactment of the International Business Corporations Act in 1982, Antigua and Barbuda became a popular jurisdiction for offshore banking.

It has since become a popular jurisdiction for online gambling. In fact, Antigua and Barbuda was one of the very first gambling jurisdictions to begin offering licenses to interactive gaming and wagering companies.

This happened in 1994, and since then a number of gambling sites have been licensed in the region. Sites licensed here are able to offer their services to residents of the United Kingdom, on account of being on the UK Gambling Commission’s white-list of gambling jurisdictions.

You can find more information on the gambling jurisdiction of Antigua and Barbuda below.

The regulatory body responsible for the oversight of all online gambling activity in Antigua and Barbuda is the Directorate of Offshore Gaming. This body is a division of the Financial Services Regulatory Commission (FSRC).

It operates under a legal framework as defined by the International Business Corporations Act and the Interactive Gaming and Interactive Wagering Regulations.

The has two types of licenses that it can issue. One is for interactive wagering and one is for interactive gaming.

As well as issuing licenses to approved operators, the organization is also responsible for ensuring licensees act within the specified guidelines of fair practice. Approved licensees are able to display the Preferential Seal to prove they have met the necessary requirements.

In 2010, the FSRC signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Kahnawake Gaming Commission. Under the terms of this, an operator licensed in either jurisdiction can also apply to receive an Inter-Jurisdictional Authorization.

This authorization allows the operator to host their operations in either jurisdiction.

Antigua and Barbuda have submitted complaints to the World Trade Organization (WTO) about the actions of the United States government in relation to online gambling, claiming that they violated the General Agreement on Trade Services.

This dispute has continued for several years without a resolution to date. The WTO has made rulings in the past, favoring Antigua and Barbuda, but no settlement or agreement has been reached.