GIBRALTAR COLLECTION
Gibraltar licence origins: from telephone betting to online play
Trace Gibraltar licence origins from the 1958 ordinance and telephone betting to the 2005 Act, remote standards and the 2026 framework.
Read articleTHE READING LIST
Casino licence origins and history
A regulator's old initials or a date in a casino footer can raise a simple question: where did this licence begin? These four histories give UK readers the background to familiar online gambling names, with a timeline for each system's development.
ANJOUAN COLLECTION
Anjouan licence origins: the early computer gaming framework
Explore Anjouan licence origins through the 2005 computer gaming document, its institutional background and later licensing service names.
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MGA COLLECTION
MGA licence origins: the LGA years and the later reforms
Trace MGA licence origins through the LGA, the 2004 remote gaming framework and the 2015 and 2018 changes, with key dates in historical context.
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CURAÇAO COLLECTION
Curaçao licence origins: from the 1993 law to the CGA
Follow Curacao licence origins from the 1993 framework and master licences to the CGA, with key dates and context for older terminology.
Read articleChoose a licence history
The stories begin at different moments. Some reach back to legislation written before online gambling existed. Others follow a framework created as internet services were becoming an established business. Each article gives its own sequence room, with a timeline and questions connected to that history.
- Curaçao
- Follow the origins of the Curaçao licence, including the early gambling framework and the institutional changes behind terminology still encountered in older accounts.
- MGA
- Explore the MGA's beginnings, the organisations that preceded its current name and the development of a framework for remote gambling.
- Anjouan
- Read about Anjouan's licensing origins, with attention to the legislation, names and administrative language that appear in the historical record.
- Gibraltar
- Trace Gibraltar's licensing history through earlier gambling legislation, the growth of remote services and the later development of its regulatory institutions.
If a date or regulator name led you here, choose the matching history and locate that point in its timeline. Read the surrounding period as well, so the isolated reference has a place in the wider sequence.
What the dates in a licence history mean
A date can mark several different things: the passage of an Act, the start of a licensing system, a regulator's change of name or a later reform. The timelines keep those events in their own places. That distinction helps explain why older articles sometimes use names that have since changed, and why the age of a framework can be discussed from more than one starting point.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
A little more detail.
Which article should I begin with?
Choose the licence name that prompted your question. Each history is self-contained, so you can follow its timeline without reading the other articles first.
Why do some older sources use different regulator names?
Institutions and legislation can change while an established licensing system continues. Each article explains the relevant names in the order they appeared.
Can I browse the articles by licence?
Yes. Select a collection above the cards to see its licence history. Choose All articles to return to the four histories in the complete reading list. The page address stays the same.
Written by
Emma Whitfield
The blog brings four licence histories into one reading list. Each follows early legislation, changing institutions and the growth of remote gambling, with a separate timeline that readers can explore on its own.
Reviewed by
Daniel Mercer
Each licence history follows its own institutions, terminology and turning points. Choose an article from the cards or narrow the reading list by licence to explore the background behind a name you recognise.