🇨🇼Curaçao gambling regulation

Legal framework at a glance

Curaçao, an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, has licensed online gambling since the 1990s under the National Ordinance on Offshore Games of Hazard. For nearly three decades a handful of master licence holders issued sublicences to thousands of operators, a system criticised for weak oversight, limited player protection and difficulty pursuing complaints.

The National Ordinance on Games of Chance (Landsverordening op de Kansspelen, LOK), which took effect on 24 December 2024, replaced that model. All online operators must now hold a licence directly from the Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA), which also supervises land-based gambling. Legacy sublicences were phased out during a transitional period.

The regulator

The Curaçao Gaming Authority, formerly the Gaming Control Board, licenses and supervises operators on behalf of the Minister of Finance. It has powers to inspect, fine, suspend and revoke licences, and maintains a public register of licensees. Anti-money laundering supervision is a central part of its role.

Licensing

Licence	Who needs it	Annual fees (approx.)
B2C online gaming licence	Operators offering games to players	EUR 22,960 to the CGA plus EUR 24,490 to the Treasury
B2B supplier licence	Providers of critical gaming software and services	EUR 24,490 to the CGA

Application fees start at about EUR 4,592, plus charges per ultimate beneficial owner. Licences are issued for an indefinite period, subject to ongoing compliance and fees, and fees may be adjusted for inflation. B2C applications are assessed in two phases with decision periods of up to around 24 weeks, and a provisional licence may be available. Licensees must meet local substance requirements, including a registered office, local key personnel, local accounts and servers. See licensing costs compared.

Online products — what is and isn’t legal

Licensees may offer online casino, sports betting, poker and other games to players in markets where this is not prohibited. Operators must respect the laws of target countries, and many national regulators treat sites without a local licence as illegal. Local lotteries and land-based gaming are regulated separately.

Taxation

There is no specific gaming tax on licensees’ revenue. Operators pay licence fees and corporate profit tax; companies meeting substance requirements may qualify for very low effective rates. See gambling taxation compared.

Advertising and marketing rules

Licensees must market responsibly, not target minors or vulnerable people and present bonus terms fairly. In practice, the most important limits on advertising come from the countries targeted. See gambling advertising rules.

Player-protection requirements

The LOK introduced obligations that the old regime lacked:

• age verification, with minors’ accounts closed and deposits refunded;
• deposit limits by day, week or month, with increases delayed 24 hours and decreases immediate;
• cooling-off from 24 hours to three months;
• self-exclusion from one to ten years or permanently, across all brands under a licence;
• a complaints procedure and the possibility of escalation to the CGA.

See self-exclusion explained and Curaçao self-exclusion.

Enforcement against unlicensed operators

The CGA can sanction licensees and act against companies offering games from Curaçao without a licence. Its ability to protect players depends on cooperation from operators and foreign regulators. See how to file a complaint against a gambling operator.

What this means for players

For players outside Curaçao, a Curaçao licence is best understood as a statement about which regulator supervises the company, not as permission to play in your own country. Many national regulators, including in Europe, Australia and parts of Latin America, treat Curaçao-only sites as illegal and block them. Where your country has its own licensing regime, a local licence usually offers stronger protections, a local complaints route and coverage by national self-exclusion schemes.

If you do hold an account with a Curaçao licensee, keep records of deposits, terms and correspondence, use the operator’s limit and self-exclusion tools, and escalate unresolved complaints to the CGA. Check the CGA’s public register to confirm that a licence is genuine and current. See how to check if a gambling site is licensed, withdrawals and player fund protection and spotting unlicensed and black-market operators.

Old and new systems compared

Feature	Before LOK	Under LOK
Licensing	Master licence holders issued sublicences	Direct licences from the CGA
Supervision	Largely delegated to master licensees	CGA supervises each licensee
Player protection	Limited formal requirements	Limits, cooling-off, self-exclusion, complaints
Local substance	Minimal	Local office, key staff, accounts and servers

Recent developments and what to watch

• Supervision: whether the CGA’s direct licensing leads to visible enforcement against poor operators.
• Market access: regulated markets continue to block offshore operators, which may push licensees towards local licences.
• Kingdom oversight: the Netherlands has pressed Curaçao to strengthen anti-money laundering controls.

For support services, see the Curaçao help directory. This page is general information, not legal advice.