New Nevis Online Gaming Bill Takes Effect — What Businesses Need to Know

Nevis is one of the world’s actively developing gaming centers, located in the Caribbean archipelago. The jurisdiction, together with Saint Kitts, forms a federal independent state with its own corporate laws governing the issuance of gaming licenses. Nevis differs from other countries in its stable regulatory environment, strong business reputation, and relatively low costs for license acquisition.

The jurisdiction is often accused of creating a climate conducive to numerous financial offenses and ignoring the recommendations of international regulators. In response to these accusations, the new Nevis Online Gaming Bill was adopted on 29 April 2025.

One of the key changes is the introduction of the independent regulating government authority, NOGA (Nevis Online Gaming Authority). Its primary purpose is to regulate the gaming industry. Officially declared purposes are Nevis’ transformation into a respected and competitive jurisdiction in the gaming sphere, enhanced transparency, professional management, and adherence to global gaming standards. And in reality, what’s the situation with the gaming business registered on Nevis?

Gambling As a Tourism Alternative

The idea of explaining the legislative changes as a response to pressure from the FATF and OECD is logical and plausible. However, there is another, more appealing perspective for the gaming industry — that the new law was initiated by the Nevis authorities themselves, with minimal influence from international regulators and global anti-money laundering trends.

The real reason, possibly, is in the structure of the island’s economy. Its core is tourism, while the income from granting gambling licenses is relatively insignificant and has a minimal impact. The competition in this segment is fierce, even within the Caribbean archipelago countries. Every year, the attraction of high-net-worth foreigners becomes increasingly challenging, and the renovation of tourist infrastructure requires significant investments.

Considering this hypothesis as a starting point, the situation becomes clearer. The changes in gaming license regulations are likely aimed at making Nevis more attractive to the gambling industry. An equally important objective is to strengthen the revenue side of the national budget to help finance the modernization of the country’s tourism infrastructure.

Key Changes

There is no complete text of the Nevis Online Gaming Bill 2025 available in open sources. The document will probably soon face some essential changes, which is why the government doesn’t rush to publish it. Therefore, the adopted law, approved by the National Assembly of St. Kitts and Nevis, the federation’s parliament, doesn’t function effectively.

But some of the critical updates are already known:

• Creation of the separate monitoring body — NOGA (Nevis Online Gaming Authority);
• Legally established provisions introducing the concept of responsible gaming, regulating the principles for resolving disputes, and protecting consumer rights;
• Demands related to anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism.

What does it mean for the gambling industry? After the approval of the Nevis Online Gaming Bill 2025, some experts declared that the end of the gambling heaven on Nevis is coming. However, when the situation had cleared a bit, it became evident that it was still very early to bury the Nevis gambling industry.

All three most significant changes are directed not towards tightening regulatory policy, but towards creating fully transparent business conditions. If the new law comes into power, everyone will win — the government, gaming industry companies, online casino clients, and even international regulators.

Advantages of Getting a Gambling License on Nevis

A business built on the principles and concepts of the second half of the 20th century, when even the most diligent players employed numerous schemes to avoid taxation, is doomed. Such companies have become accustomed to operating outside the zone of any control, and their financial streams are often hidden. Their organizational structures are built to ensure anonymity of the final beneficiaries. Such an approach was relatively functional in the 1980s, but in 2025, you shouldn’t run your business like this. The company will immediately lose its license, its banking account will be frozen, and the managers will face several serious charges that carry the risk of lengthy prison sentences.

But there is a way to do things differently. All you need to do is register a company with a transparent organizational structure, pay taxes on time, adhere to KYC/AML requirements, and cooperate with regulators. In this case, the “drawbacks” of the Nevis Online Gaming Bill 2025 will become critical competitive advantages for Nevis, which might soon transform the jurisdiction into the world’s leading gambling center.

Why the new regulating law is beneficial for the business:

• Compliance with the FATF requirements. It creates a quality reputational image, vital for the jurisdiction, positioning itself as a hub for the gambling industry. The risks to Nevis’s financial system and individual banks are also reduced (for example, due to the potential blocking of correspondent accounts). Gambling companies also stand to benefit, as the likelihood of being denied when opening corporate accounts will be significantly lower.
• Simplified launch on the promising gambling market. Businesses often face hardships in Curaçao, Malta, and Kahnawake. The Nevis license may become the golden standard in 2025 realms due to a very beneficial ratio of advantages and expenses.
• Simple access to quality financial services. Nevis has extensive experience in the development of the banking industry. It’s one of the most powerful banking systems in the whole Caribbean region. If the strategy to prioritize gambling yields results, the companies will be able to open accounts and be served in the jurisdiction of their registration.
• Relatively simple registration procedure. Following the acceptance of the Nevis Online Gaming Bill 2025, new registration rules were introduced. It simplifies the business launch, decreases operating expenses, and minimizes the negative impact of bureaucracy.

Are there scenarios when obtaining a Nevis gambling license can be unbeneficial or at least less promising? The individual peculiarities of the business may give you the answer. However, this case will likely be an exception to the rule. For the majority of the real-life cases, Nevis will become a prioritized option. With further regulatory enforcement on European gambling businesses, this trend will become even more highlighted. If your request requires anything other than standard solutions, please contact the IT-Offshore specialists.

Nevis’s Competitors

The choice of jurisdiction for the gambling project launch in 2025 has become tougher. This is related to the growing trend of de-offshorization, banks’ reluctance to cooperate with high-risk companies, and the significantly reduced room for maneuver for non-resident gambling entities.

Business is forced to balance between the effectiveness of expenses, reliability, reputational status, administrative regulatory norms, accessibility of financial services, and low operating expenses. In these challenging conditions, operators seeking to launch a project are compelled to find a jurisdiction that strikes the right balance of characteristics, taking into account factors that were previously overlooked. Under these conditions, Nevis receives a unique opportunity to enter the online gaming license market.

Disadvantages of Nevis’s key competitors:

• Curaçao. It’s a direct competitor of Nevis, with a relatively mild tax climate, a developed service sector catering to high-net-worth tourists, and a reputation as a reliable offshore center. Significant changes in the licensing process negatively impacted the attractiveness of the gaming business. As of 2025, Curaçao is one of the most popular gambling jurisdictions; however, the long-term situation remains indefinite.
• Anjouan. It’s a tiny jurisdiction in the Indian Ocean. The licensing terms are favorable for the business, and the expenses are less than in Europe. Anjouan’s advantage lies in its very beneficial taxation system — there is no VAT, no Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) tax, and no corporate income tax. The drawbacks of Anjouan — potential political instability and a less-than-ideal geographical location for business.
• Kahnawake (Canada). It’s a sovereign indigenous territory and an ethnographic and cultural center. In recent years, it has become one of the world’s gambling centers. These trends have intensified amid the tightening of this market sector in Europe. The key drawbacks are limited recognition of Kahnawake licenses in some countries and potential reputational risks.
• Isle of Man. The tax climate there is much more attractive for the iGaming industry. But there are some issues, including administrative requirements for businesses. They are excessive and poorly adapted for the digital era. They have an impact on the registration of gaming businesses, license issuance, and compliance rules. The latter ones may be too complicated for the small companies.
• Malta. The corporate tax rate is 35%, and an additional 5% is applied to income received from local gamblers — these are the drawbacks that companies licensed in Malta have to deal with. Let’s note that the European MiCA law only broadens the area of uncertainty, creating additional obstacles for the business.

Nevis is the World’s New Gaming Business Center

The current business conditions in the gambling sector make it genuinely easy to launch and maintain an online gaming project on Nevis.

In specific contexts, the jurisdiction doesn’t lose any points to the leading countries. And when evaluated comprehensively, it emerges as one of the top jurisdictions for launching and scaling a gambling project of virtually any size. We are not ready to state that Nevis is the best choice for obtaining a gaming license. Many things depend on the peculiarities of your business, the company’s management structure, strategic and tactical tasks, available budget, and other factors. But it’s undeniable that Nevis is on the short-list at the stage of planning to launch the project.

Why launching the gaming project on Nevis may be beneficial and promising:

• Modern infractrucutre;
• Competitive terms of obtaining a gambling license;
• The regulative laws are fully compatible with the world standards of transparency;
• Friendly attitude of the regulator;
• Straightforward application;
• Relatively low expenses to launch the gambling project;
• Beneficial tax rates;
• Political, economic, and financial stability.

Terms of Receiving the Gambling License on Nevis in 2025

The Nevis Online Gaming Bill will simplify the administrative procedures and possibly increase demand for the market’s operators. The situation should clear in a few months, when the new bill takes effect, and the business will gain access to the document details. Considering intense competition from Malta, the Isle of Man, Curaçao, and Asian gambling centers, we believe the probability of tightening regulatory policy is relatively low. Therefore, it’s possible to start planning the details of launching the gaming business on Nevis even now.

Current basic requirements:

• Company registration on Nevis;
• License obtaining;
• Detailed business plan;
• Getting approval for every key worker of the company;
• Corporate banking account (only in the licensed bank on Nevis);
• Paid registration and licensing fees;
• Certification of all hardware and software systems;
• Functioning system of internal control (it must comply with the AML / CTF requirements);
• Detailed financial reporting, prepared by the independent auditor;
• Measures, providing access to the gaming services exclusively for foreigners;
• All commercial and marketing materials must be approved by the national regulator of Nevis;
• Tracking all financial transactions.

The procedure for obtaining a gambling license on Nevis:

• Company registration;
• Preparation of the document package;
• Government fee payments;
• Application processing by the national regulator of Nevis;
• Checking of the hardware and software.

The gambling license is issued for one year with the possibility of further prolongation.

New iGaming Center

Will Nevis manage to become the new world’s gambling center, or will the industry’s key players continue to revolve around Curaçao, Anjouan, Malta, the Isle of Man, and the Asian jurisdictions? The business community is still awaiting the answer from the Nevis Online Gaming Bill.

If, during the gaming project launch, the priority is the company’s status, Malta might be the best choice. If you would like to start a gambling project in Europe but outside the EU, the Isle of Man will work for you. For companies with an emphasis on the Asian gambler, it’s highly advisable to consider company registration in Singapore, Malaysia, or Macau. If there is equal importance of a link with Europe and an offshore status for the jurisdiction, pay attention to the gaming licenses in Anjouan and Curaçao.

However, if you are choosing a country with the best, or at least an optimal set of characteristics, Nevis will work for you. In a few months, the situation regarding the Nevis Online Gaming Bill will be clarified, and the regulator will issue its official explanation. Then it will be possible to start registering a gambling company, opening a corporate account, and obtaining a license.

The IT-Offshore specialists will handle all legal issues in this process. Upon the client’s request, we can offer an all-inclusive format of cooperation, including business support after its actual launch. You may find additional information in the materials on our website or during the individual consultation.