The possibility of legalizing online gambling (Grenada)
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1) Why Grenada
Fiscally: Today, online traffic goes to offshore sites without local taxes or oversight. Legalization returns part of the turnover to the economy.
Socially: rules for protecting players, age control and tools for assistance are established.
Economically: there are digital jobs (support 24/7, risk analytics, KYC operations, content management), an incentive for local telecoms/fintech, cross-promo with tourism.
2) Regulatory models (what to choose)
A. B2C licenses (player operators)
License by verticals: casino/slots, live games, sports betting, bingo.
Gross gaming income tax (GGR tax), annual fee, local representative requirement, reporting on sessions and payments.
B. B2B licenses (software/payment/streaming providers)
Certification of RNG/live streams, hosting and anti-fraud.
Low annual fees, no GGR tax (no end player).
Creates a cluster of jobs and exports services without large capex.
C. Tourist regime (limited resident access)
Online product for non-residents/hotel guests, with geo-control and limits.
A soft transition for society, a test of technology and processes.
3) Taxes and fees: "golden mean"
GGR tax: benchmark 10-15% (above - pushes to offshore, below - fiscal meaning is lost).
Annual license fee: according to the size of the business (stages of turnover or the number of active customers).
RG levy: 0.5-1% GGR to a separate Responsible Gaming fund.
Compliance fee: fixed to cover IT supervision and audits.
Corporate tax/salary contributions: by general regime.
4) Protecting players (Responsible Gaming, red line)
Age 18 + with online identity verification (ID + selfie-matching).
One-click limits: deposit/loss/session time; "time-out" and self-exclusion (24 hours - 12 months), a single register by agreement of the player.
Transparent T&C: honest bonus rules (vager, cap rates, terms), no advertising of "easy money."
Night Code of Communications: no aggressive mailing at night.
Hotline and help chat, public materials on risks and probabilities.
5) KYC/AML and payments
Mandatory KYC before the first output: document, address, source of funds (at thresholds).
Anti-laundering triggers: transaction monitoring, POP/sank checks, suspicious transaction reports.
Payment methods: cards/Apple-Google Pay (where possible), e-wallets, bank transfers, stablecoins with traceable on/off-ramp and the "deposit = withdrawal method" rule.
Transparency of commissions and courses, tokenization of cards, cascade of payment gateways against refusals.
6) Technology and Surveillance
Data feed regulator: daily/hourly aggregates for bets, winnings, bonuses, self-exclusions.
RNG/Studios certification live, incident log and response plan.
Data storage on certified DCs, encryption, access control, log audit.
Anti-fraud tools: device-fingerprinting, velocity rules, behavioral analytics.
7) Communications and advertising
Only responsible creatives are allowed: focus on entertainment/service, not "wealth."
Banning targeting of minors, "recognizable vulnerable groups," and images that stimulate "debt for the sake of the game."
Public register of licenses, trust marks on operator websites, complaint channel with SLA.
8) Tourism and omnichannel
Stay & Play packages: hotels receive a controlled partner with licensed operators (vouchers for freespins/bets with limits).
Integration of comp cards offline with an online account (single points, missions, quests).
Friendly UX for cruise guests: demo modes, responsible limits "by default."
9) Risks and how to reduce them
10) Success KPI (for government and regulator)
Fiscal: GGR-tax, annual fees, RG levy.
Player protection: share of accounts with limits, number of self-exclusions, support response time.
Service: median withdrawal time, proportion of complaints and their SLAs.
Labor economics: direct/indirect jobs in iGaming/B2B.
Market: share of "licensed" turnover vs offshore valuation.
11) Roadmap (18-30 months)
Stage 1 - Engineering (0-6 months)
Consultations with hoteliers, banks, telecoms and NGOs.
Draft law: license matrix (B2C/B2B), GGR rates, RG standards, data feeds, ADR (ombudsman).
Preparing IT gateway and license register.
Stage 2 - Pilot (6-12 months)
5-10 B2C licenses (cap), launch B2B registry.
Mandatory default limits, hotline, public T&C templates.
Sandbox for fiscal small operators: preferential fees, but full RG/AML.
Stage 3 - Scaling (12-24 months)
Vertical expansion, integration of offline ↔ online comp cards.
KPI/complaint reports, external cybersecurity audit.
Co-marketing with DMO/hotels: correct advertising, travel packages.
Step 4 - Optimization (24-30 months)
Adjustment of tax rates/fees by KPI.
Export of B2B services (support, risk, content), educational tracks and internships.
12) Alternatives and trade-offs
Only B2B at the start: we reduce social risks, create jobs, prepare the ground for B2C.
Online tourist mode: access to non-residents with geo-control → quick fiscal returns without pressure on residents.
Regional agreements: mutual recognition of certifications/audits with neighboring jurisdictions.
13) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Will it increase gambling addiction?
Risk is managed with a strong RG policy: default limits, self-exclusion, hotline, advertising control and staff training.
Will we be able to compete with offshore?
Yes, if taxes and payments remain moderate, UX is fast and trust is high (register of licenses, ADRs, understandable T&C).
Do I need crypto payments?
As an option - yes, with strict KYC/AML and the principle "deposit = output method." Stablecoins reduce volatility.
What to do with complaints?
Create an independent ombudsman/ADR, publish SLAs and solution statistics.
14) Withdrawal
The legalization of online gambling in Grenada is a real opportunity to turn the "leaking" offshore turnover into a transparent source of income, jobs and protected leisure. A soft tax model on GGR, strict RG/KYC/AML standards, fair payments and public reporting are the keys to public and investor confidence. A pilot launch with a limited number of licenses, B2B support and travel packages will help you go quickly, carefully and with a measurable effect on the Spice Island economy.