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Regulatory & Licensing

Gaming, payments, crypto and investment licensing: the right regime for your model, a complete application file and a managed dialogue with the regulator.

Discuss your matter
An authorisation document with a brass seal, ribbon and fountain pen.

Typical deliverables

  • Perimeter memorandum: the licence you need and why
  • Licence comparison to choose the right jurisdiction
  • Complete application pack, ready for submission
  • Policies and procedures the regulator expects
  • Managed responses to each round of regulator questions
  • Post-licence calendar of conditions and reporting

Overview

Why it matters

The licence you choose shapes which markets you can serve and how banks, payment partners and investors assess you. A strong application is built before filing: a business model mapped cleanly to the right regime, an ownership chain the regulator can follow and a compliance function that works in practice. Gaps left open usually surface in the review, when delays cost most.

We start with the perimeter: what the business actually does, which activities trigger authorisation and where — so you invest in the right application. From there we build the licensing route, prepare the application pack to the standard the regulator expects, and stay with the file through every round of questions to the decision and the conditions that follow authorisation.

Scope

What we do

  • Gaming & Gambling Licensing

    B2C and B2B licences, supplier approvals and national market authorisations — from established hub licences to local regimes.

  • Payment & E-Money Licensing

    Payment institution, e-money institution and money services authorisation, including agent models and the exemptions that may apply.

  • Crypto-Asset Licensing (CASP / VASP)

    Authorisation as a crypto-asset service provider under MiCA, and virtual asset service provider registration or licensing under national regimes.

  • Investment & Forex Licensing

    Investment firm, broker and dealer licences for brokerage, dealing and portfolio management, onshore and in international centres.

  • Regulatory Perimeter Analysis

    A reasoned view of which activities require authorisation, which exemptions may apply and where the business model creates exposure — clear before you invest in an application.

  • Licence Selection and Comparison

    Candidate regimes compared on capital, substance, timelines, passporting, banking acceptance and ongoing cost, so you choose the one that fits your plan.

  • Application Preparation

    Business plans, programmes of operations, financial projections, governance maps and the policies each regulator requires, built as one consistent file.

  • Fit and Proper Preparation

    Preparing shareholders, directors and key function holders to meet the regulator's assessment with confidence, from personal questionnaires to interview readiness.

  • Regulator Engagement

    Pre-application meetings, handling rounds of questions and keeping the review moving with complete, consistent responses.

  • Post-Authorisation Conditions

    Meeting licence conditions, go-live requirements and the first reporting cycle without losing momentum after approval.

Jurisdictions

Licensing routes by sector

Jurisdictions in our directory with a licensing route for each regulated sector. Each overview names the authority and the route, so you can compare options for your sector; licences are not interchangeable between sectors or markets.

Compare authorities and routes in the jurisdiction register

Industries

Where we apply it

Questions

Frequently asked

How do you decide which licence a business needs?

We map the actual activities — who holds client money, who controls the game or the trade, who contracts with the end customer — against each regime's definitions. The answer often turns on the flow of funds and the contractual chain rather than on how the product is marketed; we set it out in a written memorandum.

Can you tell us how long authorisation will take?

Yes. We estimate each route from the regulator's published timelines and the completeness of your file, and explain what typically extends them. The review and decision are the regulator's, so we do not promise approval dates; our part is a complete file and consistent answers to its questions.

Do you work with local counsel in the licensing jurisdiction?

Yes. Where a jurisdiction requires locally qualified lawyers, we coordinate them as part of one engagement, alongside the registered office and local director services we provide, so you deal with a single point of contact.

Related

Related practice areas

  • Corporate Structuring

    Group architecture, incorporation, substance and governance built around your licences, banking and investors.

  • AML & Financial Crime Compliance

    AML/CFT programmes, MLRO-as-a-Service, independent AML/CFT audits, risk assessments, monitoring, sanctions and inspection support.

  • Legal Opinions

    Regulatory, business model, perimeter, payment, gaming, crypto-asset and cross-border opinions that answer what banks and investors ask.

All practice areas

Choosing a licence or preparing an application?

Tell us about your business model and target markets. We discuss which regime fits and what the regulator will expect, then send a written proposal with scope, timetable and fee.

Request a consultation