Charitable Gaming – Bingo

Charitable Gaming – Bingo

Charitable Gaming – Bingo


Charitable bingo and bon ku ne are licensed and regulated through the National Ordinance Games of Hazard II 1988 (Landsverordening Hazardspelen II 1988, PB 1988, no. 66) and the related Bingo– and Bon ku ne-decree (Bingo- en Bon ku ne-besluit, AB 1989, no. 13).

As of September 2017 the Curaçao Gaming Control Board (GCB) is charged with the authority to grant, suspend and revoke licenses for charitable bingo and to adapt the license conditions.

 

License Application

To apply for a charitable bingo license, download the Charitable Bingo License Application Form. After filling out and signing the form, submit the form together with all required documentation to the Gaming Control Board as indicated in the form.

Download Charitable Bingo License Application Form.
 

Charitable Bingo License FAQs


Charitable bingo is a game of chance with the following characteristics:
• the players use playing cards with sequential lettering “B” “I” “N” “G” “O”, and several numbers and small blank discs,
• the game leader selects and calls out random letter-number combinations, and
• the players attempt to win the game by being the first to form the word “BINGO” by using the blank discs to cover the corresponding letter-number combination on their playing cards.

The (game) rules of bingo and the criteria for the game material are legally determined by articles 2 to 14 of the Bingo- and Bon ku ne-decree (A.B. 1989, no. 13).

General license conditions:
• the proceeds of the game may only be used to realize social or cultural objectives,
• the players pay money to participate,
• only monetary prizes are issued,
 


• Associations and foundations that have legal personality and statutory objectives, that meet the legal requirements.

• Associations without legal personality, that are connected to an overarching organization with legal personality, and that have statutory objectives that meet the legal requirements.

Example: a parent committee (“komishon di mayornan”) is usually an association without legal personality, that via a school is connected to an overarching school board, that is a legal person. The school board’s confirmation thereof must be included in the license application package.


Yes. The total amount of money that all participants together may pay up for a licensed bingo game is determined by law as NAf 35,000.

 

The maximum number of bingo tickets is dependent on the maximum gross revenue and the ticket price.

Max. grossrevenue / Price per certificate = Max. nr. of certificates.

Example:
NAf 35,000 / NAf 100 = Max. 350 certificates


In charitable bingo only monetary prizes are allowed.


Yes. If the gross revenue per licensed bingo game exceeds NAf 10,000,-, then a security deposit to the value of 100% of the prizes must be deposited or a guarantee to the satisfaction of the Curaçao Gaming Control Board must be supplied, for example a bank guarantee with an expiration date of six months after the drawing to the value of the total prize package.


The processing fees for a charitable bingo license application are::

Gross revenue up to NAf 10,000 : NAf 150

Gross revenue greater than NAf 10,000 : NAf 500

The license applicant must also submit 2 adhesive stamps (“plakzegels”) with the license application, one of NAf 10 for the application itself and one of NAf 20 for the license.


Together with the license application, the applicant should submit a draft print of the bingo tickets. The bingo tickets should, at a minimum, comply with the following:

• the tickets must be consecutively numbered;
• each ticket must show:
  - the license number, the text that is required by the GCB and the date of the license;
  - the name of the licensee;
  - the date of the bingo;
  - the prizes.

A bingo ticket that lacks above information potentially belongs to an illegal bingo.


Yes. Bingo tickets may not be sold to people younger than 18 years old. Should the winner turn out to be a minor, the prize will not be awarded.

It is also prohibited to use minors for the ticket sales.


The licensee is obligated to maintain adequate financial accounting of the ticket sales and expenses, including the prizes issued. The GCB may verify compliance with this requirement during the event.

The licensee is required to submit to the GCB, within 2 weeks of the event, a financial report of the charitable bingo in accordance with the guidelines. The GCB will submit this financial report to the Stichting Overheidsaccountantsbureau (SOAB) for their review. Non-compliance with this obligation may have negative consequences for future license applications.