Curaçao gaming licence changes

What has changed in Curaçao gaming licences? The short answer

The biggest change in the Curaçao gaming licence is who holds it. Before the reform, a Curaçao casino typically traded under a sublicence from a master licence holder such as Curaçao eGaming. From November 2023 the regulator began licensing operating companies directly, and in December 2024 a new law took effect: the National Ordinance on Games of Chance, known as the LOK from its Dutch name, Landsverordening op de kansspelen. The LOK replaced the 1993 ordinance the old licences were issued under and turned the Gaming Control Board into the Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA). The old sublicence system formally ended in October 2025.

For players, the Curaçao licence changes add rules you can hold a casino to: fixed complaint deadlines, free independent dispute resolution paid for by the casino, self-exclusion of at least a year, winnings you can claim in a Curaçao court and, from October 2026, a list of things casino terms must say. The transition is not finished. In the CGA’s mid-October 2026 register, 296 of 666 licences were still marked “Assessment in progress”, and in the same month, weeks after disclosing unauthorised access to it, the CGA said its online portal would not return, which also affects the seal casinos use to show their licence.

How the 12 casinos we review fit the new rules

We checked each casino against the new system in October 2026: its entry in the CGA register, the CGA certificate linked from its website, what its terms say about governing law and courts, and whether its pages still describe the old system. Seven of the 12 hold Curaçao licences. Wildies holds an Anjouan licence, Slotosport names a company but no regulator, and Winbeast, Winplace and Legionbet name no operator or licence, so the Curaçao rules do not apply to those five.

Three findings stand out. First, every certificate we opened said “Active”, while the register lists the licences of Santeda International B.V. and Sefiarray B.V. as “Assessment in progress”, with expiry dates that have passed; the two records answer different questions, as we explain below. Second, the five Santeda casinos and Betmac put their terms under Curaçao law and Curaçao courts, as the LOK requires, while Freshbet’s terms name no governing law. Third, all seven Curaçao-licensed casinos still refer to the old system somewhere: six describe their licence under the 1993 ordinance or the Gaming Control Board name, and Betmac’s terms send disputes to Curaçao eGaming. Old wording does not by itself mean a licence is invalid, but it shows how slowly casino pages catch up with the law.

From master licences and sublicences to direct licensing

Under the 1993 ordinance, many online casinos ran under a sublicence from a master licence holder, and their footers often showed the master licence holder’s name and number rather than their own. That is why older pages and screenshots still mention master licences, sublicences or numbers ending in “JAZ”.

The change came in two steps. From November 2023 the Gaming Control Board began granting licences directly to operating companies under a new online gaming policy, still under the old law; licence numbers in today’s register that begin OGL/2023 or OGL/2024 carry the year of that phase. In December 2024 the LOK took effect. It replaced the old law, designated the Gaming Control Board as the CGA and gave existing licence holders a provisional licence of up to six months, which could be extended by six more, while the CGA assessed them. Applications already filed under the old law were finished under it.

The last step was the end of sublicences. In October 2025 the orange seal used for sublicensed websites during the transition expired, which the CGA says brought the former sublicence system to an end. A licence must now be held by a company incorporated and based in Curaçao with at least one Curaçao resident in its management, and the LOK forbids a licence holder from transferring its licence or letting another business use it. Before granting one, the CGA must establish who ultimately owns and controls the company and where its money comes from, and it can suspend a licence for up to three months, extendable by three, or revoke it.

Curaçao licensing changes from 2023 to 2027

The changes arrived in stages, and several are still to come. The dates are those of the law or of the CGA documents we read.

Where the transition stands in the October 2026 register

The CGA publishes its online gaming licence register as a PDF. The mid-October 2026 edition lists 666 licences, and their statuses show how far the transition still has to go.

Read “Assessment in progress” literally. It does not say the licence has lapsed, and it does not say it has been renewed; the CGA states that its overviews do not guarantee the current validity of a licence. Santeda International B.V., which runs five of the casinos we review, is in this group with an expiry field of December 2025, and so is Betmac’s operator, Sefiarray B.V., with July 2026. Freshbet’s operator, Ryker B.V., holds an indefinite licence issued in December 2025.

Licences the CGA itself has taken away are listed in a separate enforcement register. Its September 2026 edition lists 32 licences revoked or not extended since 2024, and none belongs to a company behind the casinos we review. Some recent licences carry numbers beginning CGA/2025 or CGA/2026 rather than OGL, so both formats are genuine.

Changes in casino regulations in Curaçao that affect players

These changes in casino regulations in Curaçao give players specific rights. They are requirements on the casino, not proof that a particular casino meets them, but they give you something concrete to point to.

Complaints and independent dispute resolution

Under Article 5.3 of the LOK you can complain to the licence holder free of charge within six months of an incident. The casino must confirm receipt in writing within a week and give a reasoned decision within four weeks, which it can extend once by four weeks. It must also offer alternative dispute resolution (ADR) at its own expense. The CGA’s ADR policy of September 2025 adds that only CGA-certified ADR services may handle these disputes, that the casino’s terms must say which services are available, that the CGA expects the outcome to be binding on the casino, and that the process should take no more than 90 days. By August 2026 the CGA had certified seven ADR services, yet none of the seven Curaçao-licensed casinos we review names one in its terms. Our guide to whether Curaçao casinos are safe compares their complaint rules.

Winnings you can claim in court

Curaçao’s Civil Code says the law gives no legal claim for a debt from gaming or betting (article 7A:1807). Article 15.3 of the LOK switches that rule off for players’ claims against a licence holder, and Article 5.5 requires the casino’s contract with you to be governed by Curaçao law, with disputes going to a Curaçao court. In plain terms, unpaid winnings from a licensed casino are now an ordinary claim. A court case in Curaçao is a big step for most players, so the complaint and ADR route is the practical first step.

What casino terms must now say

The CGA’s Terms and Conditions guideline (version 1.0, April 2026) applies to licensed casinos within six months of its release. The terms must name the licence holder, its address, company number, licence number and licence issue date. You must actively accept them, and material changes need your re-acceptance and cannot apply retrospectively unless they do not disadvantage you or correct a clear error. Dormant-account fees must be disclosed and “fair and proportionate”, and the casino must make reasonable attempts to contact you once your account counts as dormant. The terms should also make clear that a casino closing your account will not ask for information beyond what it requested while the account was open, unless anti-money-laundering rules require it. Among the Curaçao-licensed casinos we review, dormant-account fees in October 2026 ranged from €10 a month after 12 months of inactivity (Goldenbet, Freshbet and Betmac) and 5% of the dormant balance a month after a year (Cosmobet) to 20% of the dormant balance a month after 60 days (Rolletto and Velobet); we found no dormancy fee in Zizobet’s terms.

Self-exclusion and gambling controls

The LOK requires a casino to exclude a player who asks in writing for at least twelve months, and the exclusion cannot be reversed during that period. The CGA’s Responsible Gaming Policy adds one-click cooling-off periods of 24 hours, 7 days, one month or three months without emailing the casino, and self-exclusion that covers every brand and website under the operator’s licence. Rolletto, Velobet, Zizobet, Cosmobet, Goldenbet and Freshbet describe self-exclusion for six months to five years, requested through customer support or by email, and Betmac takes longer exclusions by email, so if you need a long break, ask for at least a year and keep the written confirmation. The LOK also bans licence holders from giving or arranging credit for players and from letting minors gamble, and requires bonuses and advertising not to mislead or encourage excessive play. The National Gambling Helpline, run by GamCare, offers free, confidential support, and our responsible gambling page lists more help.

Testing, player funds and wind-downs

Casino terms must state that the games use certified random number generators, and the CGA certifies the laboratories that test them; its August 2026 list includes five, among them eCOGRA. A certified laboratory does not mean every game at a casino has been tested. The LOK also provides for a guarantee fund to secure payment of player balances (Article 5.7), but leaves its premiums and the body that runs it to later regulations, and we found no CGA document showing it in operation, so do not count on it.

What the CGA has set out is what happens when a casino stops. Under its July 2026 wind-down instructions, a casino whose licence the CGA revokes or refuses must stop taking bets at once and may no longer use the CGA seal. After a refusal it has six weeks to wind down, and the end of that period does not release it from paying players’ claims.

Seals, certificates and the October 2026 portal shutdown

Under the new system the CGA issues two kinds of certificate: one for the licensed company and a Certificate of Operation for each website it may run. Casinos display a seal that links to the website certificate. The orange seal used for sublicensed websites during the transition expired in October 2025.

In September 2026 the CGA disclosed unauthorised access to its online licensing portal, which it later said ran from December 2025 to September 2026 through an account registered under a false identity. In October 2026 it announced that the portal would not return to service. It said existing licences and operators’ obligations are unaffected, but that the current digital seal would be affected and that it would introduce another way for operators to show that a website is licensed.

When we reopened the certificate links of the seven Curaçao-licensed casinos in October 2026, all ten website certificates still loaded and said “Active”. The one linked from Rolletto’s site, for example, names Santeda International B.V. and licence OGL/2024/1798/1048, gives August 2024 as the grant date and cites the LOK. The certificate says the licence is active while the register says it is under assessment, so check both. Until the new mechanism arrives, a seal that no longer opens a CGA page is a question to put to the casino rather than proof either way.

Do the changes make Curaçao casinos legal in the UK?

No. The Curaçao gambling licence changes concern Curaçao’s own licensing. A business offering remote gambling to consumers in Great Britain needs a licence from the Gambling Commission, wherever it is based, and a Curaçao licence of any kind does not replace it. Five of the seven Curaçao-licensed casinos we review restricted our UK visits in October 2026, and Freshbet’s terms also exclude UK residents; Zizobet and Betmac did not restrict our visit. At a casino without a UK licence, UK protections such as the Commission’s rules and its approved dispute services do not apply, and the Curaçao complaint and ADR route described above is what remains. Northern Ireland has its own gambling law. Our Curaçao licence and UKGC comparison explains the differences.

Changes still to come in 2026 and 2027

Suppliers: December 2026

Two LOK rules start in December 2026, two years after the law took effect. Companies supplying critical services or goods in or from Curaçao will need a supplier licence, and licensed casinos may only use suppliers registered with the CGA. The CGA’s bulletin for the second quarter of 2026 described preparations for the supplier register, and in October 2026 it had not said how the portal shutdown affects them. For players, this extends oversight to the platforms and services behind a casino brand.

Crypto controls: December 2026

The CGA’s crypto policy of June 2026 bars casinos from converting crypto for players or offering exchange, trading or wallet services, and requires them to screen wallets and check that a wallet belongs to the player, with the full controls due by December 2026. Expect to be asked to prove that a withdrawal wallet is yours, for example with a small test transaction. Our crypto casinos guide compares the coins and payout times of the casinos we review.

Local presence: April 2027

Article 5.12 of the LOK requires each licence holder to employ at least one key person resident in Curaçao, besides its director, during the law’s first four years, three from the fifth year, and to have its own office on the island. In January 2026 the CGA announced that the Minister of Justice had granted a general extension: operators need not meet the requirement before April 2027.

How to check a Curaçao casino after the changes

Four checks cover what the changes mean for a casino you are considering:

1. Find the licence holder and licence number in the casino’s terms or footer. Under the new rules the terms must name the company, its company number and the licence number.
2. Look the number up in the CGA register and note the status. “Indefinite” is a full licence; “Assessment in progress” means the CGA has not finished its review.
3. Open the seal or certificate link and check that it names the exact website you are on; the CGA says a certificate showing a different domain means the website is not authorised. While the CGA replaces its portal, a broken seal link is a reason to ask the casino, not proof either way.
4. Read the dispute section of the terms. Curaçao law, a Curaçao court and a named ADR service are what the new rules expect; references to master licences, sublicences or Curaçao eGaming mean the terms have not been updated.

Our guide to checking a Curaçao casino licence explains each step in more detail.

Our assessment of the Curaçao licence changes

The changes are real. Curaçao now licenses the company that runs a casino, checks who owns it and where its money comes from, can suspend or revoke its licence, and has written down rules players can use: complaint deadlines, casino-paid ADR, a minimum self-exclusion, enforceable winnings claims and clearer terms. That is a clear improvement on a system in which a casino’s licence often belonged to someone else.

The transition is slower than the law. Nearly two years on, more than four in ten licences in the register are still under assessment, the CGA has retired its portal weeks after a breach, and every Curaçao-licensed casino we review still carries old wording somewhere. Judge each casino on its own record: its register entry, a certificate for the exact website and terms that match the new rules. For readers in Great Britain, no Curaçao licence is permission to serve you.

How we checked this guide

We read the LOK in its official Dutch text (P.B. 2024, no. 157; the translations are ours) and the CGA’s policies on complaints, ADR, responsible gaming, terms and conditions, crypto and wind-downs, its licence register and enforcement register as published in October and September 2026, its certificate-holder list and its announcements from September and October 2026. The Civil Code rule on gaming debts is quoted from a January 2024 opinion of the Advocate General at the Supreme Court of the Netherlands. For the 12 casinos we read the terms, dispute pages, about pages and footers captured for our October 2026 reviews and reopened their CGA certificates. We did not contact the CGA or the casinos. Rules and records change, so check the current versions.