The Curaçao gambling license is both very wanted by online gambling parties and vilified by governments all over the globe. A Curaçao gambling license is however still a legit and legal way to perform gambling activities. As a gambling operator you will need to get through the needed checks before receiving the gambling license.
But why does a Curacaoan gambling license hold such a duality in whether it is respected or unwanted. In this article we will discus why the Curacaoan gambling license has the status that it does. We will also give an oversight in what is needed for a legit business to receive a gambling license from Curaçao and what steps need to be taken. Want to receive all the necessary insights of the Curacaoan gambling license? than wait no longer and start reading ahead!
How does a Curaçao gambling license work?
Just as with every gambling license, when applying for the Curacaoan gambling license a company will have to deal with government institutions and the applicable laws and regulations. In Curaçao the applicable government agency is the Curaçao Gaming Control Board, or GCB in short. This institutions gives out and regulates all the gambling licenses granted by Curaçao. It is also good to note that Curaçao has accepted new legislation regarding online gambling at the end of 2024, called the “Landsverordening op de kansspelen” (LOK, English; National Ordinance on Games of Chance).
The reform of legislation is aimed to give more control of the gambling landscape to the authorities as to improve safety, transparency and regulation of the market. Every operator that has received their license in Curaçao will have a grace period of one year to make sure they adhere to the new legislation. If they do not, they can lose their licenses.
How to receive a Curaçao gambling license
Before a gambling license can be issued the application process needs to be followed. The application procedure consists of the following steps:
- Filing for application
- Background checks
- System checks
- (Possible) receival of license
Of course this list makes it seem easy to obtain a license. However, every company will need to provide extensive information about their business enterprise and other information that is asked regarding systems, suppliers and the games they want to provide. This is necessary as the GCB needs to check if a company is legit and will adhere to all applicable legislation.
Requirements set for application
When applying for a Curaçao gambling license a company must meet multiple requirements. These requirements include but are not limited to:
- Having a registered company presence within Curaçao
- Having one physical server within Curaçao
- Having a local representative in Curaçao
- Providing a detailed description of the games provided
- Having General Terms and Conditions in order for the users of the platform
- Confirmation of domain ownership (and confirm only to use the license for this domain)
- Successfully implement anti money laundering systems and procedures in their platform, such as background checks
- Perform independent audits of the gaming systems
- Have certification for the applicable games, especially regarding RNG games
These are the requirements for the company itself, its personnel however is also subject to multiple checks. The identity of the director and others in charge of the company or in leadership positions will be checked. They need not to be involved in any criminal cases, especially regarding fraud or other financial crimes.
When someone in a leading position of the company is found to be involved in any legal dispute, the license can be denied. This is even the case before this person is even found guilty. Just the implication can be enough to deny the application. When everything is in order, technically the only thing that needs to be done is paying the applicable fees and the gambling company can receive their license.
Why does a Curaçao gambling license have such a dubious status?
As discussed in the beginning the nature of Curacaoan gambling licenses is seen as quite dubious. This has two main reasons. The first reason is that for many years the Curaçao gambling license has been seen as very easy to obtain. Which also was the case, meaning that everyone with simply enough financial means and just a basic casino website could probably get a license. The second reason is that many companies use the Curaçao gambling license to illegally operate in other countries. They use the license as a from of creating legitimacy with the consumer.
Consumers often just see the license and think ‘Well this website must be legit’. However the laws and regulations of the jurisdiction consumers are in, often do not allow for these parties to operate there, making them illegal.
Lack of consumer protection
Other problems do also arise with these online casinos, especially regarding consumer protection. Laws and regulations are implemented to protect consumers and to mitigate fraud, however this is often of no message to these Curacaoan based online casinos.
Often these casinos do not have a decent anti money laundering or addiction prevention policy in place. Other things these illegal online casinos are known for are:
- Slow or no pay-out of funds
- Egregious bonus terms, almost impossible to complete
- Aggressive marketing tactics
- No or almost non-existent background checks
- Bad or no customer service
As a consumer at a, for your jurisdiction, illegal casino you will have no protection and are at the mercy of the casino. They will try to get you hooked and will not let go of you once you are spending money. Pay-outs are unlikely to happen and the chances of you getting addicted are very high.
Curaçao gambling license: what to think?
With the implementation of the LOK the Curacaoan government aims to lessen the risks associated with Curaçao based online casinos and increase the reputation of the country and these companies. However if they will success still needs to be seen over the next couple of years. Enforcement of the new rules will be crucial, as for now it is up to the Curacaoan government.
Want to know more about the international gambling market? Than have a look at one of our other pages such as this one about the German casino license.
