Comoros declares Anjouan licences illegal and asks UK for assistance

The government of the Union of Comoros has declared that licences sold in the name of Anjouan lack legal basis and has requested cooperation from the United Kingdom and its law enforcement agencies, The Guardian reported on 19 October 2026. The Banque Centrale des Comores described the regime as "illegal activities" and said "British nationals" had been identified in connection with the scheme. The newspaper also linked the licensing service to a London company that denies selling gambling licences.

Official claim by Comoros and request to British authorities

The Banque Centrale des Comores told The Guardian that the regime operating under the name of the island of Anjouan, locally known as Nzwani, are "illegal activities" carried out by people "abusing the name of the Comoros Islands to give themselves an appearance of legitimacy". The central bank added that the government is preparing "legal action" at the domestic level and that "British nationals have been identified" in relation to the unauthorised regime.

The Executive of the Union of Comoros has formally requested the United Kingdom's cooperation on financial intelligence and police collaboration; according to The Guardian, the request includes a direct appeal to the UK Government and its security forces.

"Illegal activities" by people "abusing the name of the Comoros Islands," a Banque Centrale des Comores spokesman told The Guardian.

The Comoros Treasury declined to comment to the newspaper.

Background: the central bank statement and its republication

The central bank's position is not new. In a statement signed by Governor Younoussa Imani on 15 June 2022, the Banque Centrale des Comores warned of "fictitious structures" claiming to grant banking and financial licences in the Comoros, naming Anjouan Offshore Finance Authority and Anjouan Corporate Services. That statement said the issuance of licences is the exclusive competence of the central bank and that the matter had been referred to prosecutors in Moroni, Mutsamudu and Mohéli.

The Ministry of Finance, Budget and the Banking Sector of the Union of Comoros republished the statement on 10 December 2025. The 2022 text focused on banking and financial licences and did not explicitly mention gambling, but authorities now say the same delegitimisation applies to the licensing environment using Anjouan's name.

The structure identified by the press and the company's response

The Guardian linked the Anjouan Corporate Services site and the licensing service to ACS Global Custodian Ltd, a company registered in London and connected to the Sherm Group, based in Finchley. The Guardian said ACS Global Custodian Ltd is associated with members of the Sorsky family.

Companies House records show the company was incorporated in 2017 as Global Custodian Ltd and changed its name to ACS Global Custodian Ltd in November 2025. Accounts to 31 October 2025 show cash at bank of £614,827 (2024: £13,130) and net assets of £590,618; no profit and loss account was filed, so the source of the cash does not appear in those documents.

Harold Sorsky told The Guardian that the coverage was "advancing a narrative that is entirely false and not supported by the facts" and said "ACS Global Custodian Ltd does not sell, issue or provide gambling licences and has not done so since we took the company on in 2023". Sorsky added that references to ACS supporting gambling applications predated the delegation of that function to another provider and that, beyond sharing directors, Sherm Group has no affiliation with ACS.

"ACS Global Custodian Ltd does not sell, issue or provide gambling licences and has not done so since we took the company on in 2023," Harold Sorsky said.

The Anjouan Gaming register and the profile of the licensees

Anjouan Gaming maintains a public register that now lists nearly 1,500 licence holders, according to The Guardian, compared with just over 1,300 counted by SBC News in June 2026. The register usually names only companies, many domiciled in Panama, Belize and Costa Rica.

Among the operators named is BC.Game. Several registered platforms market themselves as "not on GamStop". The Guardian tested the SlotsCharm platform from the UK, placed bets and received more than 100 commercial contacts offering incentives to return to play; a SlotsCharm spokesperson said the site is regulated by "our internal rules".

Anjouan Gaming posted on LinkedIn on 10 June 2026 that its licence "is not, and has never been presented as, a universal authorisation to operate in all countries of the world," according to SBC News coverage, and added that licensees are responsible for complying with the law in their chosen markets.

Alun Bowden of Eilers & Krejcik Gaming told The Guardian that a licence offers "a degree of comfort" that eases relationships with banks and payment providers. An industry source cited by iGB Live asked why pay £80,000 for a Curaçao licence when an Anjouan licence costs £20,000, according to that source.

Practical consequences and focus on London

The Comoros government is discrediting not only the licensees but the authority that issues the licences. If Comoran authorities pursue legal action, payment providers and content suppliers that accept an Anjouan licence as evidence of oversight will have a sovereign finding on record that the licence lacks validity.

Comoros' request to the United Kingdom targets London as the apparent operational centre of the scheme and places pressure on the British company identified by The Guardian. ACS denies current responsibility for issuing licences and the UK Treasury has not made public statements on the matter.

The exact nature of UK intervention — which body would act and with what authority — is not publicly clear: the UK Gambling Commission regulates those offering gambling to UK consumers, but does not necessarily regulate consultancies advising on foreign certificates. The request for cooperation on financial intelligence and police matters suggests Comoros considers this issue potentially connected to financial crime.

Regulatory market context

According to several sources cited by The Guardian and other media, the credibility crisis in Curaçao and the flight of operators to regimes with opaque registers have increased the attraction of cheaper alternatives. A data leak at the Curaçao regulator and heightened scrutiny have driven some operators toward jurisdictions with lower requirements and costs.

The decision by the government of the Union of Comoros to publicly disavow the licences adds a new element of pressure on payment providers and platforms that still accept the validity of Anjouan licences.