Canadian TGC license
We handle Tobique Gaming Commission licensing, the regulator established under the Tobique Gaming Act 2023 within the sovereign jurisdiction of the Tobique First Nation in New Brunswick, Canada. A single licence covers casino, betting, poker and lottery verticals without separate applications for each. We incorporate the company, prepare the due diligence file and AML and KYC policies, clear the DLAG preliminary review and run the application through to the Commission decision.
We run the project end to end, from incorporation through to the TGC licence award. The exact figure is scoped to your domain count, vertical mix and project configuration.
First-year government costs: the TGC licence fee and the mandatory DLAG compliance package. Incorporation and advisory work are quoted separately. We prepare a costing after a short brief, with a same-day response.
Request a quoteWe prepare and submit the application, but the final decision rests with the regulator. Official TGC fees, the DLAG compliance package, incorporation and annual renewal are payable separately and are not included in our advisory fee.
Operators choose Tobique for the 0% GGR rate, a predictable fixed budget and fast entry into international markets.
The full cycle from submission to award takes 4-8 weeks, with no office or resident directors required.
A single licence covers casino, betting, poker, lottery and slots verticals, with no separate application per product.
The GGR rate is 0%, so your budget is built from fixed fees and does not scale with turnover.
The regulator compliance package covers up to 5 declared domains, with no separate charge per project.
What a sovereign Canadian jurisdiction delivers, and what operators should weigh up before launch.
Issued under the Tobique Gaming Act 2023 by the sovereign authority of the Tobique First Nation, separate from the Canadian federal framework
The rate on gambling revenue is 0%, so operators pay only the fixed regulator fees
No physical presence or resident directors are required, only a corporate structure that meets the regulator standards
Casino, betting, poker, lottery and slots sit under a single authorisation, with no separate filings by vertical
The regime has been running since 2023 and some banks and payment providers are still forming a view on it, so we map the route case by case
The licence runs for one year, the fee drops to EUR 18,000 from year two, and the EUR 7,000 compliance package stays annual
The DLAG subscription is a licence condition, covering monitoring and daily data backups
The US, the UK, several Canadian provinces and countries on sanctions and FATF lists are closed off, and we configure blocking before launch
TGC maintains a list of prohibited territories, blocked at GEO-IP level with no exceptions. For all other markets, the duty to verify legality sits with the operator. Here is where the lines fall and what to check before launch.
The regulator maintains a list of territories blocked at GEO-IP level with no right of exemption:
Blocking extends to the FATF grey and black lists, all sanctioned jurisdictions and any territory TGC deems prohibited. The list is revised as FATF classifications change, so settings need updating.
Everything outside the regulator list. TGC requires the operator to verify legality before targeting or accepting players:
TGC places market verification squarely on the operator. Russia and Belarus are not formally on the list, but banks and payment partners close them off for sanctions reasons. Before launch we check target GEOs against current regulation.
TGC maintains the list of prohibited territories, blocking is mandatory and the list follows FATF changes
For markets outside the list, the licensee must verify legality before targeting or accepting PLAYERS
KYC must establish the player real residence, not just the connection country
Geo-blocking is a licence condition, and its absence or circumvention leads to suspension by TGC
The operator answers for affiliate traffic, and affiliate geo-targeting is scrutinised the same as your own
New Brunswick, where the Tobique community sits, is on the list, and players from there are blocked like everyone else
The TGC list closes some markets outright, and for the rest the risk stays with the operator. Before launch we map target GEOs, configure blocking and align the setup with payment partners.
A licence gives you the right to operate, but it does not open an account. Tobique does not require local bank accounts or incorporation within the jurisdiction, so the payment setup is built around the project. The regime has run since 2023 and providers assess it case by case: we map the route to your vertical, target markets and volumes.
There is no requirement to bank in Canada, so the bank or EMI is your choice. We incorporate in a jurisdiction that suits the payment setup rather than the licence location, and shape the ownership structure around the requirements of the specific bank.
Card acceptance runs through specialist providers who work with this sector. The regime is young: some PSPs are still forming a view, others already work with Tobique licensees. We select providers by vertical and target GEOs, and prepare the file to their requirements.
Tobique permits settlement in fiat and digital assets, provided the AML framework covers crypto risk and source of funds. Providers scrutinise ownership structure, beneficial owners and target markets, so we build the file before submission rather than after a refusal.
We assess your verticals, target markets and provider requirements before submission begins. We cannot guarantee an account will be opened - that decision rests with the bank or provider.
Realistically 4-8 weeks end to end. Stage by stage: incorporation 5-7 days, preliminary review 5-10 days, full application assessment 14-21 days, licence award 5-10 days. The real timeline hinges on how ready your beneficial owner file is.
We look at your verticals, target GEOs and ownership structure, then check the target markets against the TGC list. If the project runs into prohibited territories, we say so straight away, before any payment.
The regulator vets every shareholder, director and beneficial owner, including source of wealth and source of funds. Timing here is down to you: we hand over the list upfront and point you to where each document comes from.
We incorporate in a jurisdiction that suits the payment setup, as no local entity in Tobique is required. We appoint an MLRO for reporting. No office or resident directors are needed.
First we clear the DLAG preliminary review, and once approved we file the full application through the portal. The regulator works through the business plan, website policies, AML procedures and technical documentation. The clock starts when the complete pack is accepted.
We declare up to five domains under the DLAG package, close out the RNG requirements, set up daily backups and configure geo-blocking. TGC then issues the licence for one year.
We need owner documents and domain access from you. Everything else is on us.
Runs the project start to finish, so you never explain it twice
Usually within 30 minutes during working hours
We handle DLAG and Commission correspondence ourselves rather than forwarding it on
Renewals, the compliance package subscription and deadline tracking, so the site never goes offline
Timelines reflect regulator guidance and our own practice. We prepare and submit the documents, but granting or refusing the licence is the regulator decision.
Tobique offers a 0% GGR rate and every vertical in one application, but entry is expensive and recognition among banks is still developing. Below are the honest limitations and the jurisdictions that address them.
The government element alone comes to EUR 43,000 in year one: the licence fee plus the mandatory compliance package. Add incorporation and advisory work on top. For testing a model on live traffic, that is a steep figure.
TGC closes off the United States, the United Kingdom, Israel, the provinces of Ontario and New Brunswick, along with the FATF lists. Geo-blocking is a licence condition. If your core traffic comes from there, this licence will not solve the problem.
On timing Tobique is quick, 4-8 weeks end to end. On price it sits well above the budget regimes, where entry starts at EUR 19,000. If the goal is to test a model with minimal outlay, cheaper routes exist.
Running since 2023 under the sovereignty of an Indigenous community rather than a state, the regime is still being assessed by some banks and payment providers. If the project needs a jurisdiction with a long track record in acquiring, European regulators are worth a look.
The fastest and cheapest route into licensed status. No GGR tax, no capital requirements, no local office or resident director. Operators take it early on, when the model needs testing on live traffic.
A government-issued licence from a Caribbean jurisdiction. One application covers both operator and supplier at the same price, with no local office required. Chosen when government backing matters and timelines are short.
There is no dedicated licence for this sector here, so the project runs through a local company holding a commercial activity permit. The cheapest and quickest option when status is secondary and speed to launch is what counts.
A direct regulator licence with genuine market recognition and no capital requirements. Every vertical under one authorisation, crypto permitted. A middle ground between offshore and Malta on both price and standing.
Nevis does not answer every brief. Sometimes the honest call is to go straight for it, sometimes to start with a simpler regime.
Real cases from our practice. Client names and results are published with their consent.
Nevis An operator running a live casino on Curacao wanted to add betting and poker. Under the old permit each vertical meant a separate approval, with no guaranteed turnaround. We costed both routes, extending the existing permit or starting fresh. Extending came out slower and more expensive.
Solution: We went for a B2C licence in Nevis, where all three verticals sit in a single application with no product-by-product sign-off. We declared the main domain plus four sub-domains upfront to avoid paying to add them later. The Compliance Officer and Reporting Officer were in place within a week.
I was braced for another fight over poker, same as last time. Asked on the call when we file the second application. They said there is no second one. Did not believe it, asked them to show me where that is written down. They did. That was the end of it.
Nevis They came in asking for Malta because their content partner had ruled out working with an offshore permit. The project was built, the platform ready, funding in place. The problem was time: Malta means six months minimum, plus capital requirements and a local structure. Launch was slipping into the following year.
Решение: We put Nevis on the table: a government-issued licence granted by the island administration, not a private registrar. We sent the partner an extract from the regulator public register, they checked it and dropped the objection. We were upfront about the downside too: renewal costs the same as the initial grant, with no reduced rate.
What mattered to me first was what the partner would say. Sent him the register link, he looked and said fine, this is not what I meant by offshore. That settled it. They told me about the annual payment straight away, so I built it into the model.
Anjouan A team of three with their own esports betting product and modest traffic so far. They had looked at Nevis, but EUR 28,000 in fees against a model not yet proven at volume was steep for a first round. What they needed was operating status, enough to plug in payments and start reading real numbers.
Solution: We suggested Anjouan. Several times cheaper, no local office or resident director, comparable timeline. Payment providers do recognise it, not as a top-tier jurisdiction, but enough to get started. We agreed to revisit in a year once the volumes are in and decide whether a move makes sense.
We came in asking about Nevis and the first thing they asked was what our turnover looked like. There was not any yet. They said then it is too early, take something simpler. I liked that, to be honest. They could have sold me the expensive one and nobody would have checked.
If your question is not covered here, leave a request and we will look at your situation directly.
Get a consultationRealistically 4-8 weeks end to end. Stage by stage: incorporation 5-7 days, preliminary review 5-10 days, full application assessment 14-21 days, licence award 5-10 days. The process runs in two steps: preliminary approval first, and only then the full file. The real timeline hinges on how fast the beneficial owner documents come together, not on the regulator.
Mandatory geo-blocking covers the United States, the United Kingdom, Israel, the Canadian provinces of Ontario and New Brunswick, plus countries on the FATF grey and black lists and sanctioned jurisdictions. The list is revised as FATF classifications change, so blocking settings need reviewing. Geo-blocking is a licence condition and its absence leads to suspension. For markets outside the list, the regulator places the legality check on the operator.
The government element in year one is EUR 43,000: an EUR 36,000 licence fee plus the mandatory EUR 7,000 annual compliance package, which covers up to five domains. From year two the fee drops to EUR 18,000 and the compliance package stays annual. The GGR rate is 0%. Incorporation, file preparation and advisory work are quoted separately, with a full costing after a short brief.
No. There is no requirement to incorporate in Canada or in Tobique itself, and the licence can be issued to a company registered elsewhere. We select the jurisdiction to suit the payment setup and bank requirements rather than the licence location. That said, the regulator does not accept empty shell structures: you need a genuine operating company with transparent ownership.
There is no fixed minimum share capital. The applicant must nevertheless demonstrate sufficient funds to launch and run the site, including segregated holding of player balances. Weak financials or an inability to evidence the source of capital can lead to refusal at application stage or suspension later on.
Every key person is checked: shareholders, directors and ultimate beneficial owners. The regulator requests identity documents, proof of address, three months of bank statements, and evidence of source of wealth and source of funds. Undisclosed controllers, opaque trusts and masked ownership lead to refusal. Any director or shareholder services in the structure are disclosed to the regulator.
One authorisation covers casino, betting, poker, lottery, clots and table verticals, with no separate filing per vertical. Licence types are distinguished by role instead: operator, platform and software supplier, and service provider. Physical prize draws are not covered.
The licence runs for one year and renews annually. From year two the fee is EUR 18,000, and the EUR 7,000 compliance package remains mandatory throughout. You must maintain geo-blocking, appoint an MLRO and keep up reporting, encrypt and back up data daily through an approved provider, and display licence details alongside AML, KYC and responsible gaming policies in the site footer. We start renewals early so the site never goes offline.
The GGR rate is 0%: the regulator takes no percentage of gambling revenue, so the budget consists solely of fixed fees. Corporate taxation is determined by the jurisdiction where the company is registered, not by the licence. We therefore model the tax position when choosing the structure, before the application goes in.
Yes. Sub-brands connect as affiliated projects under the same regulator, provided the main operator controls them and carries legal responsibility. Where you use a third-party platform, the regulator asks for the supplier licence and the agreement itself, to confirm compliance stays under your control. RNG certificates from the supplier are accepted.
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