Curaçao gaming licence explained for UK players
A Curaçao gaming licence is now issued directly by the Curaçao Gaming Authority, the former Gaming Control Board, under the national gaming ordinance applied from 24 December 2024. Its register, published on 20 October 2026, lists 666 licences. What follows sets out the licence’s scope, the route a complaint takes from the casino to an independent dispute body and why the licence is not permission to serve players in Great Britain.
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What a Curaçao gaming licence actually permits
Gaming, gambling and casino licence: one permission
Curaçao’s national gaming ordinance (the LOK) has no separate casino or betting licence. The operator licence covers remote games of chance, a definition that includes sports betting and poker, so the phrases gaming, gambling and casino licence usually point to the same B2C operator document. Organising such games in or from Curaçao without a licence is prohibited, so the ban reaches games run from the island for players elsewhere, and the authority’s regulatory-scope page calls unlicensed offering a felony under the Criminal Code. A licence cannot be lent or transferred.
Only a Curaçao N.V. or B.V. with its seat on the island and at least one director who lives there can hold one.
A licensee must display the authority’s digital seal, and the seal is where the permission becomes visible to a player. For a player-facing website the proof is the certificate of operation, which names one domain. The authority also issues a licence certificate, and its certification policy says that one names no domain and does not authorise a player-facing website. The seal to look for on a casino is therefore the first kind.
The Curaçao Gaming Authority and its licensing role
The authority is the former Gaming Control Board under a new name and, in its own words, is “responsible for issuing licenses and supervising the sector”. Each operator now applies for its own licence through the authority’s online portal, and the authority publishes the register of what it has granted.
Its press release of 19 October 2026 sums up the switch: under the new system the authority “directly supervises online gambling operators”, with no master licence holder in between. Beside operator and supplier licences, it issues certificates of up to three years to service providers such as testing laboratories and dispute bodies, a third category outside B2C and B2B. Its stated enforcement priorities are minors and vulnerable persons first, then illegal gambling.
How the licence changed under the LOK
The master-licence model is now historical.
From master licences to direct licensing
- November 2023
Phased reform begins
A new online gaming policy takes effect on 15 November 2023.
- 18 August 2024
A master licence holder closes
Gaming Curacao says it ceased operations on 18 August 2024 and that its sublicences would expire.
- 24 December 2024
The LOK takes effect
The 1993 offshore ordinance is repealed. Old-law licensees running games themselves receive a provisional licence of up to six months.
- 15 October 2025
The Orange Seal expires
This ends the former sublicence system.
- 20 October 2026
The latest register edition
666 licences, 571 B2C and 95 B2B, each with its own status.
- 24 December 2026
Supplier licences required
Until this date a B2B supplier licence is not mandatory.
Register published 20 October 2026
Provisional and indefinite licences
A licence is indefinite unless the decision says otherwise. A provisional one runs for up to six months, extendable by six more. The newest register rows print an expiry date six months after issue, indefinite rows none.
Rows printed as “Assessment in progress” carry such a date, but the authority does not define the words, and 298 of those rows print an expiry already before the edition date. Read each status as printed, and treat the certificate page as the current record for a domain.
- B2C
- B2B
- Assessment in progress266 B2C, 37 B2B
- Indefinite180 B2C, 29 B2B
- Expired52 B2C, 2 B2B
- Revoked47 B2C, 3 B2B
- No status printed26 B2C, 24 B2B
What the licence covers
B2C operators and B2B suppliers
A B2C licence is for the company that deals with players, a B2B licence for the studios and platform providers behind it. The register prints 571 of the first and 95 of the second.
Casino and sportsbook activities
No authority document says outright that one B2C licence covers a casino and a sportsbook. The reading rests on the law’s definition of a game of chance and on the licence conditions, which grant it for “the offering of remote games of chance”. For the sports side of the market, see Curaçao betting sites.
| Licence | Who holds it | What it covers | In the register |
|---|---|---|---|
| B2C operator licence | A Curaçao N.V. or B.V. with a Curaçao-resident director | Remote games of chance on the domains the authority has approved for that licence | Printed as B2C: 571 rows |
| B2B supplier licence | Game studios and platform or software providers | Supplying games or platforms to operators; never combined with a B2C licence in one company | Printed as B2B: 95 rows; required from 24 December 2026 |
| Casino and sportsbook | The B2C licence holder | Both fall under remote games of chance | Not shown; the register prints no activity |
Source: the national gaming ordinance, the authority’s licence conditions and the 20 October 2026 register.
Licence holders, brands and domains
A licence belongs to a company and its listed domains, not to a brand name.
One company, several websites
The licence is granted for the domains and subdomains that the licensee owns or controls, lists in its account with the authority and has had approved. A company can hold one or more B2C licences, so one holder can run several websites, and one brand can sit under a holder whose name the player has never seen.
The certificate is where brand, domain and holder meet. Bitstarz’s says that bitstarz.com is operated by Gareton B.V., then gives the company number, licence OGL/2024/165/0185, the grant date and the status, Active.
Kika Technology B.V., licence OGL/2023/147/0081, is a published example of one holder with two websites. The register dated 20 October 2026 prints it as Indefinite, and the authority’s certificate pages link both 7bitcasino.com and playamo.com to it. PlayAmo’s own terms of 11 May 2026 name a different company, Saphirix Solutions SRL of Costa Rica, with a licence from the Tobique Gaming Commission, so the two records do not agree.
PlayAmo
The PlayAmo lobby on playamo.com
A casino’s terms must name the licensee as registered with the authority. Where other companies run products under the same brand, the terms must say which products the authority does not regulate.
Well-known casinos holding a Curaçao licence
| Brand | Operator | Licence number | Register status | Domain | Date checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7Bit Casino | Kika Technology B.V. | OGL/2023/147/0081 | IndefiniteCertificate: Active | 7bitcasino.com | 27 Oct 2026 |
| Bitstarz | Gareton B.V. | OGL/2024/165/0185 | IndefiniteCertificate: Active | bitstarz.com | 27 Oct 2026 |
| Cloudbet | Halcyon Super Holdings B.V. | OGL/2024/328/0599 | Assessment in progressCertificate: Active | cloudbet.com | 27 Oct 2026 |
| Yep Casino | Nixxe B.V. | OGL/2024/1363/0705 | Assessment in progressCertificate: Active | yep.casino | 27 Oct 2026 |
| Stake | Medium Rare N.V. | OGL/2024/1451/0918 | Assessment in progressNo certificate foundIts terms cite the licence number, but when checked on 27 October 2026 the authority showed no certificate for stake.com. | stake.com | 27 Oct 2026 |
| BetFury | Universe B Games B.V. | OGL/2024/1494/0942 | Assessment in progressCertificate: Active | betfury.com | 27 Oct 2026 |
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Player protection under a Curaçao licence
Identity checks and account limits
The responsible gaming policy of 21 February 2025 asks for an age check at sign-up and gives players deposit limits, cooling-off periods and self-exclusion across all of an operator’s domains. It also requires an operator to block known payment methods of a self-excluded player.
Game testing and published terms
The authority sets no technical standards of its own and accepts those of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ontario, British Columbia, the United Kingdom and Malta. Laboratories need ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation, and its list of 31 August 2026 holds five.
- Gaming Associates Europe
- GLI
- eCOGRA
- Quinel
- BMM Spain Testlabs
| Area | What the authority’s documents set |
|---|---|
| Players | No credit, no minors and no presumed vulnerable persons. Age 18 or over, with an identity check. |
| Deposit limits | Daily, weekly or monthly limits. A request to reduce a limit applies at once, an increase waits seven days. |
| Self-exclusion | At least twelve months under the law. Operators offer 1, 3, 5 and 10 years and lifetime. |
| Identity checks | Customer due diligence at transactions of NAf 4,000 or more, on suspicion, or on doubts about identity data. The terms guideline sets XCG 4,000 (circa EUR 2,000) in cumulative deposits and withdrawals. |
| Game testing | Games certified by an approved laboratory, equipment tested by an independent approved entity. |
| Published terms | Terms must state that games are fair and use certified random number generators, give bonus wagering and its calculation, and name Curaçao law. |
Complaints and dispute resolution
Operator first, then ADR
The dispute: each step ends in a decision
- The casinoComplain free of charge within six months of the incident. The operator acknowledges within one week and decides within four weeks, extendable once by four.1 week to acknowledge, 4 + 4 weeks to decide
- A certified dispute body (ADR)The casino's terms must name the authority's certified dispute bodies. If several are named, you choose, and the operator pays.Expected to take no more than 90 days
A missed self-exclusion is acknowledged within two days and resolved with best efforts in five business days. A dispute body may refuse a case until the casino’s own process is finished.
Dispute bodies certified by the authority, list of 31 August 2026
- Resolvo Curaçao N.V.
- ADR Curaçao B.V.
- Cadre B.V.
- EGIS-FZCO
- ABC-ADR Limited
- iGamingADR Limited
- IBAS (Independent Betting Adjudication Service)
What the CGA will and will not do
The authority will not overturn an operator’s or a dispute body’s decision unless the complaint was inadequately handled, and it expects an ADR outcome to bind the operator. Its tools are instructions, fines, suspension or revocation of the licence, and referral to the Public Prosecutor.
Is a Curaçao gaming licence valid in the UK?
The Gambling Commission says remote gambling offered to consumers in Great Britain needs its operating licence, wherever the operator is based, and that advertising unlawful gambling to those consumers is also a criminal offence. licenzio informs about licences and does not invite anyone in Great Britain to gamble with an operator that lacks one.
For the account scenarios that follow, read Curaçao casinos and UK players.
Curaçao licence vs a UK Gambling Commission licence, side by side
| Feature | Curaçao Gaming Authority | Gambling Commission |
|---|---|---|
| Licensing body | Curaçao Gaming Authority, the former Gaming Control Board | Gambling Commission, for remote gambling offered in Great Britain |
| Public register | Registry PDF, edition of 20 October 2026, plus a certificate page per domain | Public register searchable by business name, trading name, domain name or account number |
| Cap on bonus wagering | No cap found. Terms must state the wagering requirement and how it is calculated | 10 times the bonus, in force from 19 January 2026 |
| Online slot stake limits | None found in the published policies | £5 a spin for adults, £2 for ages 18 to 24, online slots only |
| Complaint route | Operator first (one week to acknowledge, four to decide), then a certified dispute body | Operator first (eight weeks to resolve), then a Commission-approved ADR provider |
| ADR | Seven certified bodies, paid by the operator, expected within 90 days | Approved providers such as IBAS, free to the customer |
Gambling Commission column: its published guidance, register and complaints pages, and the bonus rules in force from 19 January 2026. Curaçao column: the documents described above.
Restricted countries and account terms
Three separate layers decide where a player can open an account, and the licence is only one of them.
The authority lists no restricted countries, so the operator’s terms are the only place the list appears. The authority itself named managing access from restricted jurisdictions as an open issue in a stakeholder bulletin of August 2026.
| Layer | What it settles | Where to read it |
|---|---|---|
| Local law | Each country decides whether its residents may be offered remote gambling at all. | The country's own statutes and regulator. A Curaçao licensee has to comply with the laws of every place it offers games. |
| Licence scope | The authority licenses the operator and the approved domains, and publishes no list of restricted countries. | The licence conditions and the certificate page, which name a company and a domain but not markets. |
| Operator terms | The operator must tell players where participation is permitted, restricted or prohibited. | The operator's own terms and conditions, which differ from one company to the next. |
Checking a licence in practice
The seal is weaker evidence this autumn. The authority’s portal was breached in September 2026, and an interim portal with the register and seal system started on 19 October. A missing seal is not proof of an invalid licence. To check a Curaçao licence without the seal, follow our register walk-through.
All four regimes, including the Anjouan licence and the Malta licence, appear in one table in our online gambling licence comparison.
- The footer and terms section that name the licensee, company and licence number.
- The certificate page opened from the site’s seal, with the exact domain visible.
- The register row with its edition date, and the enforcement register result.
- The dispute bodies named in the terms, compared with the certified list.
Frequently asked questions
Is a supplier licence the same as a casino operator licence?
No. A B2B licence is for companies that provide games or platforms to operators, and one company may not hold both kinds. The domain-specific certificate of operation is issued for B2C licences only, so a supplier licence on its own never shows that a casino website open to players is covered.
Does a Curaçao licence cover every customer market?
No. Licensees must follow the laws of the places where they offer games, and their terms must say where play is permitted or prohibited. A final foreign decision that an operator broke that country's gambling law is also a listed ground for revocation.
Are old eGaming seals proof of current licensing?
No. The former sublicence system ended with the Orange Seal on 15 October 2025, and the old address cert.gcb.cw now redirects to cert.cga.cw. A current seal must open a certificate that shows the exact domain being visited. The authority describes a genuine seal as a green box with the letters CGA in white.
Can one licence holder run several casino websites?
Yes. A company may hold several B2C licences, each covering the domains in the licensee's account with the authority. Changing a domain needs the authority's prior permission, and the domain list is not public, so the certificate page is the only public link between a domain and a licence.
Does the regulator settle individual complaints?
No. An objection to a decision of the authority can be lodged within six weeks, but that is for its own decisions and not for player disputes. Suspected rule breaches are reported to complaints@cga.cw; the authority does not report back on the status of an investigation.
Where can I check the company behind a casino?
Start with the casino's terms, which must show the legal name, registered address, Chamber of Commerce number, licence number and issue date. Then open the certificate page from the site's seal, because cert.cga.cw has no public search, and find the licensee in the register edition.
Responsible gambling and support
Gambling is for adults and carries a risk of harm.
GamCare’s National Gambling Helpline costs nothing, answers 24 hours a day on 0808 8020 133 and offers phone, live chat and WhatsApp. Set limits before you play, and use GAMSTOP if you want to exclude yourself from British-licensed sites. There is more help in our gambling support guide.