A Curaçao gaming licence in 2026 is not what a Curaçao gaming licence was in 2023. The National Ordinance on Games of Chance — the LOK — came into force on 24 December 2024 and abolished the master and sub-licence system that had operated since 1993. Licences are now issued directly by the Curaçao Gaming Authority, recorded in a public register, and subject to ongoing supervision with real enforcement powers behind it. Operators must incorporate locally and maintain a physical presence on the island.
The system that ended
Until the reform, Curaçao did not license operators. It licensed four private companies, which in turn sold sub-licences to anyone willing to pay. The regulator had no direct relationship with the operators running under those sub-licences, no record of who ultimately owned them, and no practical means of enforcement against them.
This is what made Curaçao the most accessible gaming jurisdiction in the world, and it is what the Dutch government required Curaçao to dismantle.
The dismantling was staged. Legacy sub-licences expired in January 2025. Operators in the middle of an application were issued orange transitional seals, which expired permanently on 15 October 2025. From that date, an operator still trading on a former sub-licence without having completed the CGA transition was, in regulatory terms, unlicensed.
The LOK framework
Parliament passed the LOK on 17 December 2024. The Governor signed it and it came into force on 24 December 2024.
The ordinance establishes three licence categories:
B2C Gaming Licence — operators serving players directly: online casinos, sportsbooks, lotteries.
B2B Supplier Licence — software developers, platform providers, payment processors serving licensed operators.
Non-profit Game Licence — charitable gaming.
What applicants must have
Only legal entities established under Curaçao law, with their statutory seat on the island, may apply. The entity must be managed by at least one natural person who is a resident of Curaçao, or by a corporate entity incorporated under Curaçao law that itself has a resident managing director.
The CGA conducts its own investigations into ultimate beneficial ownership rather than relying on documentation supplied by the applicant. Licences are recorded in a public register.
From 1 January 2026, physical presence requirements apply. This is the provision that most clearly separates the current regime from its predecessor: a Curaçao licence now requires something on the island.
Anti-money laundering
The regulator published AML, CFT and CFP regulations in May 2024, aligned with FATF recommendations. They took effect on 20 May 2024 with a three-month transitional period, making full compliance mandatory from 1 September 2024 — four months before the LOK itself came into force.
The sequencing matters. AML obligations were imposed on the sector before the licensing regime that would enforce them existed.
Enforcement
The CGA holds suspension and revocation powers, coordinates with international regulators, oversees responsible gaming obligations, and manages dispute resolution between players and operators.
It also issues public warnings. In February 2026 the authority named a site displaying a fabricated digital licence seal and advised the public to verify all licences exclusively through its official database — an indication both that forgery occurs and that the regulator now monitors for it.
Who stayed and who left
The transition produced a visible sorting of the market.
Stake completed the direct licensing process and holds licence OGL/2024/1451/0918. Cloudbet holds OGL/2024/328/0599.
Yolo Group, operator of Sportsbet.io and Bitcasino.io, left Curaçao entirely and moved to Estonian licensing.
The scale of the transition is visible in the application volume: in early December 2024, before the LOK had even come into force, the regulator had 553 pending licence applications with a further 279 awaiting processing.
The 2025 supervisory dispute
In late 2025 the Board of Financial Supervision for Curaçao and Sint Maarten sent a formal letter alleging that the CGA was under criminal investigation and raising integrity concerns about the regulator.
Curaçao's Finance Minister publicly rejected the allegation. In December 2025, the Board retracted the claim in full, acknowledging that it had relied on unverified rumours rather than official channels.
We include this because the episode is often cited without its conclusion. The allegation was made, disputed, and formally withdrawn by the body that made it.
What this means for players
An operator holding a current CGA licence is subject to a regulator that knows who owns it, can suspend it, and handles player disputes. An operator displaying a Curaçao seal that predates the reform is displaying something that no longer exists.
The distinction is checkable. See our verification checklist and our page on what licensing means for players. Danish readers can find the same ground covered in hvad Curaçao-licensen betyder for danske spillere.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Curaçao master licence system still in operation?
No. The LOK abolished it entirely on 24 December 2024. All legacy sub-licences expired in January 2025, and there is no grandfather provision.
Who issues Curaçao gaming licences now?
The Curaçao Gaming Authority, directly. It replaced the arrangement under which four private master licence holders sold sub-licences.
Does a Curaçao licence require a local company?
Yes. Applicants must be legal entities established under Curaçao law with a statutory seat on the island and at least one resident managing director.
When did physical presence requirements start?
1 January 2026.
Can I check whether an operator's Curaçao licence is real?
Yes. The CGA maintains a public register and advises verifying licences exclusively through it.
- Curaçao Gaming Authority — cga.cw
- Licence register — portal.gamingcontrolcuracao.org
Page last reviewed: 1 August 2026