Purpose of certification
The public certificate provides a clear way to confirm that an interactive gaming domain is associated with an operator recorded in the Vanuatu Gaming Authority licence register.
VGA Limited operates in partnership with the Vanuatu Department of Customs and Inland Revenue as regulator. The applicable legislative framework includes the Interactive Gaming Act [CAP 261] and its subordinate regulations.
01
Certificate of operation and seal
A certificate of operation is tied to a specific player-facing domain. It identifies the registered domain, operating company, licence number, activation date, and current status held in the public register.
The official VGA seal must link to a certificate on this verification service and include the operator's issued identifier.
02
Display requirements
Operators displaying the VGA seal are expected to meet all of the following conditions:
- The seal appears only on a domain that is approved and recorded for that operator.
- The artwork is displayed as issued, without changes to its colour, proportions, wording, or design.
- Selecting the seal opens the official certificate page rather than an image, screenshot, or operator-controlled copy.
- The domain and operator shown on the certificate match the website where the seal was selected.
03
How to verify a certificate
Do not treat the seal image alone as proof of an active licence. Select it and review the certificate page before relying on the operator's claim.
Check the address. The certificate must be hosted on the official VGA verification domain.
Compare the domain. Spelling, subdomain, and top-level domain must match the site being checked.
Read the status. The certificate must state Active at the time of verification.
A different domain, missing record, or inactive certificate does not authorize the website and may indicate unauthorized use of the seal.
04
Certificate status
The result page may show one of the following status classes:
The record is current in the public register.
The record was located but cannot be relied upon as evidence of current authorization.
The identifier is invalid or no matching domain exists in the register.
05
Misuse and reporting
Copying a seal, altering its design, linking it to another operator's certificate, or displaying it on an unregistered domain may constitute misleading or unauthorized use.
If a certificate and website do not match, stop interacting with the site and retain the page address and a screenshot for any report to the authority.