Current legislation
Based on the National Ordinance on Offthore Games of Hazard (Landsverordening buitengaatse hazardspelen, P.B. 1993, no. 63) (NOOGH) online gaming licenses are issued by or on behalf of the Governor of Curaçao.
In 2019 the Minister of Finance has been tasked with the licensing for and the supervision of the online gaming sector on behalf of the Governor of Curaçao.
Since March 2020, the Curaçao Gaming Control Board (GCB) has been tasked with the licensing for and supervision of the online gaming sector on behalf of the Minister of Finance.
As of November 15, 2023 it will be possible for operators to apply for a new license under the current law directly with the GCB.
For more information on the current online gaming regulation, please visit our online gaming portal here.
For the latest guidelines on the deadline of March 31, 2024 to register and apply for an online gaming license under the existing law, you can click here.
For the extension of the deadline of March 31, 2024 to April 30, 2024, you can click here.
For the latest online gaming license application submission guidelines, you can click here.
Future legislation
The government of Curacao is in the process of modernizing its gambling legislation to bring it in line with international standards and to adopt a responsible gaming policy that spans all gaming activities that are and will be licensed in the jurisdiction.
Based on this new legislation, the GCB will be converted into a new independent licensing and supervisory authority for all games of chance.
The first gaming sector to be legalized under this new law shall be remote gaming.
The government is considering the possibility to temporarily exempt from the new legislation operators who, at the time that the new law enters into force, offer remote gaming under a license granted under the NOOGH so that they can temporarily continue to operate during this period without needing to apply for a license immediately.
The government is aware that a significant number of operators are currently operating under a license granted under the NOOGH. Hence it is one of the government’s priorities to safeguard the current business carried out by these operators. The government would like to see their continued operations from Curaçao in the future. At the same time, the government must ensure that the possible temporary exemption being granted will not be abused. It is also for this reason that the government has introduced a registration for these operators through an online portal of the GCB.
For more information, please visit our online gaming portal here.
Complaints
The GCB has not yet started handling complaints as there is no formal procedure for that in place yet. The GCB currently aims to have a complaints procedures in place in the first half of 2024. As soon as this is the case, we will announce it on this website.
We kindly point out in advance that the GCB will not investigate all complaints. For example, the GCB does not have the authority to adjudicate disputes between the complainant and the accused party and to settle claims or award damages.
Only if a complaint indicates a violation of the applicable regulations, this can be investigated further.
We suggest that at all times you seek legal advice for any claims you may have vis-à-vis the license holder or other party or parties.
Please note that all license holders and parties that operate under their responsibility should at all times comply with the law, including AML/ CFT regulations and the permit provisions and best practices that are applicable to them. Any violation of the law can at all times lead to administrative, criminal or civil measures.
Disclaimer: For the purpose of user-friendliness, this website provides internal working documents, containing unofficial (consolidated) texts of legislation. Although every effort is made to provide accurate and current information, no rights can be derived from the use of the working documents. The GCB disclaims any responsibility or liability for errors, omissions, and delay in updating of any information or links, or for claims regarding the accuracy, currency and completeness of the information.