What is B2B vs B2C license?
A B2C gaming license authorises operating games for players - casinos and sportsbooks facing the public. A B2B license authorises supplying the industry: platforms, game studios, aggregators. The split matters because obligations, costs, and market access differ sharply, and modern regimes license the two separately.
What each license covers
B2C: the operator relationship with players - registration, deposits, bonuses, responsible gaming, player-fund segregation, dispute handling. The B2C licenseholder answers to the regulator for everything a player experiences. B2B: supplying critical products to operators - game content (studios), platform software (PAM), aggregation, and in some regimes odds feeds. B2B licensing exists so regulators can certify the supply chain: an MGA or Curaçao B2C operator generally may only integrate suppliers who are themselves licensed or recognised.
Which one your business needs
Running a casino brand and holding the player wallet: B2C. Building a game studio, platform, or aggregator that never touches player funds: B2B. Both at once - platform providers who also run their own brands - need both, often through separate entities to keep obligations clean. Common misconception: a B2B license does not allow operating toward players 'a little'; the moment your entity registers players or holds their funds, you are operating B2C and need that license. Conversely, studios selling to licensed operators do not need B2C licenses in most regimes - they need B2B recognition in each market their operators serve.
Cost and obligation asymmetry
B2C is the heavier license everywhere: player-protection duties, AML on deposits, marketing rules, and revenue-based fees. B2B is typically cheaper and lighter - certification of products, fit-and-proper checks, and fixed fees - because the player-facing risk sits with the operator. Under regimes like the MGA, a B2B critical-supply license also travels well: one recognised certification opens many operator clients. For suppliers, the licensing strategy is market-driven: get B2B status wherever your target operators hold their B2C licenses.
Frequently asked questions
Does a game studio need a gaming license?
Usually a B2B supplier license or certification in the markets where its operator clients are licensed - not a B2C license. Requirements range from full B2B authorisation (MGA) to product certification and recognition (various national regimes).
Can one company hold both B2B and B2C licenses?
Yes, and platform groups often do - but many structure them in separate entities to isolate player-facing liabilities from supplier contracts, and some regulators prefer or require the separation.