How game studios and their products are licensed

Licensing is not just about "window paper." This is admission to markets, distribution channel and finance. For studios (B2B content providers) and for operators (B2C casinos/bookmakers), the set of requirements differs, but overlaps in terms of technical standards, player protection and transparency of calculations. Below is a practical map of the process: from choosing a jurisdiction to certifying a specific game and entering production through aggregators.

1) Who and what is licensed

Studio (B2B provider) - a legal entity that creates and supplies games. Many markets require a B2B license/supplier approval.

Operator (B2C) - a site/application that accepts bets/deposits from end players; it needs an operator license.

Product/games - individual titles and their versions; for regulated markets, it is certified (game certification) according to local technical standards and rules of responsible play.

Infrastructure - RNG servers, RGS/platform, data centers/CDN, monitoring tools; often fall under the audit and list of "critical components."

2) Types of permits and documents

1. B2B license of the provider

The right to supply content to licensed operators.

Verification of beneficiaries (UBO), sources of funds, impeccable business reputation (fit & proper).

2. Game Approval/Compliance Certificate

Laboratory report on RNG, RTP, mathematical model, rule mapping, event logs, responsible game requirements.

In a number of countries - a separate market build (local warnings, limits, interface language).

3. Laboratory reports and standards

GLI (eg, GLI-11/19/33), iTech Labs, eCOGRA, BMM Testlabs, et al.

Compliance with Remote Technical Standards (RTS) of a particular regulator.

4. Safety certificates

ISO/IEC 27001 (information security management), sometimes SOC 2 Type I/II at the request of partners.

Privacy provisions: GDPR/local counterparts, DPIA, log storage policy.

3) Key jurisdictions (logic review, no "better/worse")

UK (UKGC). High RTS standards, strict focus on RG, clear requirements for magazines, metrics and reporting risks to the player.

Malta (MGA). Common B2B license for suppliers; clear due diligence and technical control procedures.

Isle of Man, Alderney, Gibraltar. Strict but predictable regimes for companies with serious infrastructure.

Scandinavia/EU (e.g. Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands, Romania, Greece, etc.). National permits + local technical and advertising rules, sometimes with rigid RG mechanics.

Curacao (updated model). Regulatory reform has increased demands on providers and reporting; it is important to monitor current regulations and transition periods.

Canada (provinces, e.g. Ontario). Provincial regulators with their own rosters of approved providers and games.

LatAm and Asia. Mosaic of modes: from the required local approvals to the model "work through an approved B2C operator"; especially attentive to taxes and advertising.

Conclusion: studios often combine an "anchor" B2B license (for example, MGA/IoM) + local approvals in priority monetization countries.

4) What regulators and laboratories are checking

RNG: cryptographic strength, uniformity of distributions, independence of sequences, correct initialization.

RTP/mathematics: modeling long-term returns, spread/volatility, compliance with declared paytables, jackpot correctness.

Rules and UI: clear references, odds/odds in understandable form, no misleading elements.

Journals/telemetry: who/what/when; immutability of key events; Export/Audit Access.

Responsible play: timeouts, limits, pop-up reminders, self-exclusion - if required in a particular country.

Change management: build version, integrity control, deployment and rollback procedure.

5) Content Delivery Architecture: Direct Integrations and Aggregators

Direct contract studio → operator. Maximum control, but more integrations, certifications and support.

Via aggregator/RGS platform. Fast access to many operators, simplified back office and billing; part of the regulatory and technical requirements is closed by the aggregator.

Mechanic/IP sublicensing. If using someone else's mechanics/brand, keep an eye on the IP chain and areas where use is allowed.

6) Studio Licensing Roadmap (B2B)

Stage 0 - Pre-preparation

Ownership structure, UBO dossier, sources of financing.

Politicians: AML/CFT, KYC B2B clients, information security, incidents.

Tech passport: where RNG/RGS is hosted, how logs are kept, who administers the accesses.

Phase 1 - Select Jurisdiction

Target markets/operators, taxes, review dates, substance requirements.

Assessment of license/audit maintenance costs.

Stage 2 - Feed

Questionnaires of directors/compliance officers, certificates of non-conviction/financial status, business plan.

Change management procedures, test environments, version control schemes.

Stage 3 - Communication with regulator

Responses to inquiries, completion of documents, demonstration of infrastructure.

Assign Compliance Officer (MLRO/Compliance Officer).

Stage 4 - Maintenance

Regular reports, incident reporting, notifications of changes in structure/processes.

Recertification with significant platform updates.

7) Game-specific certification: Step by step

1. Game Design Doc (GDD) and mathematics. Full description of mechanics, pay tables, RTP profiles, jackpots, bonus triggers.

2. Technical package. Engine version, list of dependencies, asset sources, integrity control (hashes).

3. RNG documentation. Method of generation, seats, restarts, where the RNG (client/server) is located, security mechanisms.

4. Help/localization. Complete rules, warnings, age markings, local patterns of responsible play.

5. Send to lab. Build games, RGS, test harness, access to logs/endpoints.

6. Corrections (if necessary). UI/Math/Log fixes, reruns.

7. Certificate and listing. Receiving a report, loading into the register/catalog of the aggregator/regulator.

8. Market build. Country-specific assembly (languages, warnings, rate limits, age indexes).

9. Post-release monitoring. Compliance of live telemetry with the declared parameters, hot-fix procedure.

8) Responsible play and player protection (this is also important for studios)

In-game features: session duration reminders, odds help, transparent bonus terms.

Risk signals (in integration with the operator): tilt patterns, "dogon," bursts of deposits - reactions depend on the country.

Communication: warning language, age/restriction icons, links to help.

RG logs: events of limits, timeouts, self-exclusions - often required for audit.

9) Security, privacy, data storage

ISO/IEC 27001 as a base: access management, logging, backups, incident response.

GDPR/local laws: minimization of personal data, DPIA, shelf life, data subject rights.

Data localization: in some countries - storage on the territory or through approved clouds.

Test environments: anonymization/synthetic data, prohibition of "combat" PII in QA.

10) Money and billing

Schemes with aggregators: revenue share, minimals, marketing funds.

Game reporting: GGR/NetWin detailed reports, jackpot/prize grid deductions.

Taxes and invoicing: depends on the jurisdiction of registration of the studio and places of release; plan the structure in advance.

11) Typical risks and how to avoid them

1. Underestimating local RTS. - Keep the requirements matrix by country, do not rely on "universal" help.

2. Merging versions. - Strictly separate global build and market builds, mapper hashes.

3. Weak logs. - Laboratory and regulator expect detailed logs; lay them at the design stage.

4. Unformed IP. - Check the rights to the brand, music, acting voices.

5. Ignore RG. - Even if not formally required, RG features increase business resilience to claims.

6. Lack of compliance officer. - We need a center of responsibility for regulation and relations with laboratories.

7. Late localization. - Lay languages and warnings before UI art finalization.

12) Checklists

Studio (B2B) - Basic Package

UBO/Directors: KYC/AML dossier
Policies: AML/CFT, information security, incidents, change management
RNG/RGS Tech Passport + Logging Scheme
ISO 27001 (or certification plan)
Incident Reporting Procedure to Regulator/Partners

Game - before sending to the laboratory

GDD + Math (RTP, Volatility, Event Frequencies)
Full help, localized warnings
Debug logs are disabled, combat logs are enabled and valid
RNG Description + Sid Management
Build hashes, integrity control, dependency list

Market release

Lab certificate/report uploaded to registry
Market build assembled and validated in country language
Integration tests with operator/aggregator passed
RTP/Incident Monitoring Connected
Marketing kit agreed (no misleading promises)

13) An approximate 90-day roadmap

0-30 days: audit of processes, selection of jurisdiction for B2B, preparation of policies and tech passports, preliminary consultation with laboratories.

31-60 days: submission for a B2B license/approval, in parallel - preparation of the first games for certification, integration with the aggregator.

61-90 days: obtaining B2B status/approvals, completing certification of pilot titles, release after 1-2 priority operators in the test region, debugging monitoring and reporting.

Licensing is a systematic work at the intersection of legal practice, technology and production. Successful studios design compliance as part of the architecture: logs and references - out of the box, market builds - planned, RG - built-in, ISO - not "for show." This approach reduces certification time, opens up more markets and increases the confidence of partners and players.