// legal
Can you run a casino without a licence?
In most jurisdictions you cannot legally operate a casino without a licence. The exception is the sub-licence model: under SoftBet you operate as our sub-licensee under our Curaçao or Anjouan licence, which is a legitimate, regulator-recognised path that lets you launch in 3–8 weeks instead of 6–12 months.
// 01
The short answer
In most jurisdictions you cannot legally operate a casino without a licence. The exception is the sub-licence model: under SoftBet you operate as our sub-licensee under our Curaçao or Anjouan licence, which is a legitimate, regulator-recognised path that lets you launch in 3–8 weeks instead of 6–12 months.
// 02
What a sub-licence is, and why it works
A sub-licence is a contractual right to operate under the licensee's regulatory umbrella. The licensee (us) carries the regulator relationship; you carry the brand and the players. It is recognised practice in Curaçao and Anjouan and is how most new operators in 2026 get to market.
// 03
Where a sub-licence is enough
Most jurisdictions outside the high-regulation tier (UK, Sweden, Germany, Italy) accept a Curaçao or Anjouan sub-licence as legal operator coverage. Higher-regulation jurisdictions require your own MGA / UKGC licence — we can guide that path too.
// 04
Where it is not enough
UK (UKGC), Sweden (SGA), Germany (GGL), Italy (ADM), USA (state-by-state). For these, your own licence is required. We carry the application + compliance burden if you choose to graduate.
// 05
What you actually need to do
Sign the sub-licence agreement with our compliance team (one-week turnaround). Provide KYC on you and your officers. Pick your jurisdiction (Anjouan 3 wks, Curaçao 6–8 wks). Launch.
// faq
Questions, answered
Yes — it is a recognised practice under Curaçao and Anjouan, and accepted by most non-strict regulators.
Most LatAm jurisdictions, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Anjouan, Curaçao itself. UK, Sweden, Germany and Italy require your own.
You are responsible for your brand and your operations. We carry the regulator relationship + licensing + filings.
Yes — we guide the application and run the technical compliance during the parallel period.
US real-money casino is state-by-state and largely closed. The US-model sweepstakes path is the answer — gold coins + sweeps coins; we ship that.
// related
Related guides
// also covered on this page
Secondary keywords this guide answers
can i run a casino · can i run a casino in anjouan · can i run a casino in curaçao · can i run a casino in costa rica · can i run a casino in cyprus · can i run a casino in estonia · can i run a casino in brazil · can i run a casino in peru · can i run a casino in colombia · can i run a casino in mexico · can i run a casino in us · can i run a casino in canada · can i run a casino in uk · can i run a casino in malta · can i run a casino source code · can i run a casino script · can i run a casino software · can i run a casino platform · can i run a casino sdk · can i run a casino api · can i run a casino github · can i run a casino no-code · can i run a casino for beginners · can i run a casino 2026 · can i run a casino without licence
Ready to start?
Tell us your idea on Telegram. We will scope and have you live in under two weeks.