The government of Comoros, the beautiful tropical islands near Madagascar, wants the British authorities to help it look into an offshore gambling licensing network that it claims is operating without authorization under the name of Anjouan. The latter is one of the country’s three main islands.
According to The Guardian, Comoros is also cooperating with international police and financial intelligence agencies as it prepares potential legal action against the people involved in the alleged operation.
The dispute could affect close to 1,500 businesses currently listed on Anjouan’s public gambling license register.
The controversy revolves around Anjouan Licensing Services, which began issuing gambling licenses in May 2023, amid tightening regulatory restrictions in other well-established offshore gambling jurisdictions, including Curaçao and the Philippines.
A Matter of Licensing Authority
For a little context, Anjouan declared independence from Comoros in 1997 but later rejoined the country under an arrangement granting its islands considerable autonomy. During its period of separation, Anjouan developed an offshore financial services industry.
Today’s gambling licensing system claims its legal basis in the Computer Gaming Licensing Act of 2005. However, the Comoros government disputes the legitimacy of the Anjouan Offshore Finance Authority (AOFA), the organization said to oversee the regime.
Last December, the central bank in Comoros publicly denounced AOFA and Anjouan Corporate Services (ACS), calling them “fictitious entities” that are issuing unauthorized financial licenses. The respective warning primarily concerned banking activities.
Former Comoros attorney-general Azad Mzé subsequently told Australia’s ABC that Anjouan Licensing Services, which issues gambling licenses, was also an “illegal entity.”
A September 2025 study by researchers Steve Menary and Marko Begović raised further questions about the licensing framework. They found that the publicly available version of the purported 2005 law lacked an official signature or stamp and appeared on the licensing organization’s own website.
Anjouan Gaming, which introduces itself as the island’s official gambling regulator, claims that its licenses are valid, citing an independent legal opinion.
Nonetheless, the organization has not publicly identified the law firm responsible for that opinion or released the document.
British Ties Into the Spotlight
Investigations by Australia’s ABC previously identified connections between ACS and British businessmen, including members of London’s Sorsky family.
The Guardian has since reported that ACS Global Custodian, a company linked to the family, recorded a sharp increase in cash holdings during 2025, from GBP 13,130 ($17,524) to GBP 614,826 ($820,594).
The source of the additional funds has not been established.
Harold Sorsky denied that ACS had sold or issued gambling licenses since the family acquired the company in 2023, saying other providers were responsible for those activities.
The investigation also found that some Anjouan-licensed casinos were advertised as alternatives to Britain’s GamStop self-exclusion scheme. One operator, SlotsCharm, reportedly sent a journalist more than 100 gambling incentives after the reporter stopped betting.
The main issue that remains to be determined is whether the licensing businesses have the right type of authorization from the relevant island authorities and whether their activities are lawful according to Comoros’ national legal framework.
However, local approval would not necessarily resolve the wider dispute.