Tighter controls in Curaçao challenge offshore-licensed gambling firms
The Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA) has launched a wide-reaching enforcement campaign targeting companies registered in the country that are operating gambling services without a locally issued licence.
Hundreds of Curaçao-based firms, including both public limited companies (NVs) and private limited companies (BVs), are currently offering online gambling under foreign licences—such as those issued in Anjouan, Kahnawake or Tobique. Under Curaçao’s laws, this is strictly prohibited.
In a recent interview with SiGMA News, Cedric Pietersz, Managing Director at the Curaçao Gaming Authority, made it clear that the island’s regulatory approach has become more decisive in recent years: “I believe we’ve become more assertive when we identify certain developments. Our goal is to ensure operators remain fully compliant.”
Legal consequences
According to the CGA, these companies are in direct breach of the National Ordinance on Games of Chance (LOK). Specifically, Article 1.2(1) of the LOK makes clear that companies based in Curaçao must not “organise, or provide the opportunity to play, any game of chance” without a gaming licence issued by the CGA.
In tandem, the Criminal Code reinforces this prohibition, stating that individuals who offer gambling to the public without the proper legal permit can face criminal penalties.
The CGA has made clear that foreign operating licences are not recognised under Curaçao law for entities registered within its jurisdiction. The regulator has now started sending cease-and-desist letters to Curaçao-registered companies running online gambling operations without a local licence.
Industry-wide repercussions
This enforcement is not limited to operators alone. The regulator has also put payment processors, B2B software providers and other support services on notice: those supplying services to unlawfully operating gambling companies could be found complicit in facilitating illegal activities.
The CGA emphasised that many third-party providers have been misled into believing they are working with legitimate operators. However, offshore licences are effectively void within Curaçao when used by Curaçao-registered entities.
Curaçao’s overhaul
Curaçao recently overhauled its gambling laws for the first time in 30 years, replacing the old master licence model with direct oversight from a newly empowered regulator, the Curaçao Gaming Authority. The reform, formalised through the National Ordinance on Games of Chance (LOK), came into effect on 24 December 2024 and is described by the CGA as a “significant step toward a more robust gaming legal framework.”
Introduced after a phased reform process launched in late 2023, the law aimed to create “a safer, more transparent, and well-regulated environment,” according to the CGA. The legislation tightens rules on anti-money laundering, mandates responsible gambling measures, and requires operators to set up proper dispute resolution channels.
The key challenge ahead will be striking a balance: retaining the many gambling companies based on the island while upholding the more demanding regulatory standards that are to bring greater legitimacy, transparency, and long-term stability to Curaçao’s gaming sector.
