Anjouan Challenges Offshore Gambling Network Tied to UK-Based Property Investors

The autonomous Comorian island of Anjouan is engaged in a dispute with an offshore gambling network allegedly connected to a family of London-based property investors, according to a Guardian investigation published on 19 October 2026. The report states that the individuals, who deny the allegations, have been linked to the sale of gambling licences to online casinos claiming to be based on the small Indian Ocean island.

The Core Dispute

Anjouan, an autonomous island within the Union of the Comoros, has in recent years become one of the fastest-growing offshore licensing hubs in the global iGaming sector. Under the island’s Computer Gaming Licensing Act 007 of 2005, the Anjouan Betting and Gaming Board was established to administer internet gambling authorisations, and the jurisdiction now offers low-cost, unified permits covering casino games, sports betting and poker, with no gaming tax.

Anjouan Licensing Services reported 825 active internet gaming licences by May 2025. French daily Le Monde has since reported that more than 1,100 Anjouan licences are valid, and has documented repeated links between licence holders and serious breaches, including non-payment of winnings, opaque corporate structures and money laundering allegations.

The Guardian’s investigation indicates that the island’s authorities are now contesting the activities of an external network, associated with UK-based property investors, which is alleged to have sold licences to operators using the Anjouan name without authorisation. The individuals concerned deny selling such licences.

Prior Findings by International Investigators

The Guardian report follows a December 2025 investigation by Australia’s ABC, which identified several individuals involved in a network of illegitimate corporate regulators and service firms issuing corporate documentation in Anjouan’s name. That investigation noted that at least one operator, Leon Casino, continued to display an Anjouan licence despite being designated an illegal gambling operation by Australian authorities.

Industry analysts have described the broader phenomenon as a systemic risk. A report by Gaming Compliance International, cited by The Guardian in a September 2026 briefing, estimated that the global illicit gambling market processed wagers worth $5.9 trillion in 2025. Offshore licences of questionable legal standing, researchers argue, function primarily as a veneer of legitimacy, reassuring consumers, payment processors and business partners without providing genuine regulatory protection.

The Regulator’s Position

The Anjouan regulatory authority has publicly contested criticism of its regime. In June 2026, following criticism from Flutter Entertainment regarding black-market betting activity during the World Cup, the regulator denied that its licences are intended or marketed for universal global use. The authority maintains that its licences are issued under Comorian law and are subject to conditions covering anti-money laundering and know-your-customer requirements. Its public register also shows at least one internet gaming licence suspended pending investigation.

Critics of the regime, including legal commentators cited in trade publications, have questioned whether Anjouan licences hold legal validity at all, noting that gambling is prohibited under the Comorian Penal Code – an assertion the licensing authority rejects.