Curaçao Gaming License & Casino Regulations Reform

Introduction

Where I take copies of information I will quote the source - otherwise I will use my own narrative.

As a result of falling off the gambling wagon, per say, I found myself immersed in online casino licensing and regulations research. I don’t want to bore you with my downfall but, as a starting point, I would like to raise awareness of the radical reform and transformation of the Curaçao Gaming Licensing & Casino Regulations.

The Curaçao Licensing (pre-reform)

I won’t go into great detail as you can easily find this info online but in short, there are four Master Licensing Holders who can issue sub-licenses. This current system, in the main, is outdated and was in need of modernisation.

I want to explore what this means for casinos with Curaçao Licenses and more importantly what these changes will mean for players, especially the vulnerable. (incidentally, I have zero intention of being a player again, for me this was a massive wake up call, I want to focus on helping others avoid pitfalls)

https://crustlab.com/blog/curacao-gaming-license-casino-regulations/

‘Starting September 1, 2023, the Curacao gambling landscape will significantly change as the government plans to implement stricter licensing rules.

The present system permits licenses to spread in a bit unrestrainable way, as government-licensed businesses have the right to offer sublicenses to other brands on their own terms.

Concerned that this could result in deeply unfair practices, the Curacao government forces a new bill leading to serious transformations in the island’s gambling regulation. As part of these reforms, a revamped system will be put in place with the Curacao Gaming Authority taking charge of issuing both B2C and B2B licenses.

All of this aims to prevent money laundering, boosting transparency and responsible gambling’

The changes are already in motion with a transitional period set to 2025 (an online portal is now open for New Licenses Applications and Registration of Sub Licensees applications)

https://portal.gamingcontrolcuracao.org/

This changes are likely to be met with some resistance and frustration for some operators and there are bound to be casualties along the way.

https://crustlab.com/blog/Curacao-gaming-license-casino-regulations/

‘Overall, the new law signifies a shift towards a more tightly regulated gambling environment, with security, transparency, and responsible gaming taking center stage’

Curaçao Gaming License & Casino Regulations

The Reform Transitional Period

FIRSTLY, if you are from the UK and are registered with GAMSTOP, please, please TRY NOT to get drawn into searching for casinos advertising as non-GAMSTOP, this is where it all started going wrong for me. (of course, it is ultimately your decision but remember the reason you registered with GAMSTOP in the first instance!)

Casino Guru have reviewed many Curaçao casinos and report on the licensing status, I wish I had researched this before and not after the fact! Nevertheless, if it helps just one person, it will be worth investing my time.

There are a growing number of disingenuous operators running casinos without a valid license. It is important to check EVERY license before playing any casino.

During the Curaçao reform transition period I am certain the best advice anyone could give is to be super- vigilant. The new stringent measures will certainly see an exodus of some operators and almost definitely some will continue or begin operating without a valid license!

Just an addition: some operators have turned to Costa Rica to acquire the license. Its quality is very discussable, at least as a member of our Data Team told me. If I'm correct, Corta Rica only holds a list of owners or sub-owners, so it's quite challenging to even prove the validity of the license. When it comes to addressing disputes, I could use some insight 🙁.

Maybe you are better informed?

I will do some research at some stage and start a new thread if I see fit - in my opinion it will become more difficult for operators to dodge legislation in the long run! That said, it’s not going to happen overnight. However, I believe the Curaçao reform is a global message to operators and hopefully players that the net is closing in, and rightly so. There HAS to be a ‘global’ paradigm shift to implement stringent regulations associated with gambling!

UTOPIC THINKING!

My hope is for a ‘global compliance blueprint, a ‘one size fits all’ approach 🔐 of course that would be complex but if successful, applicants could be added to an approved list or similar.

What would please me more than anything, would be to ensure vulnerable players have access to self-exclusion tools like the UKs GAMSTOP!

Apparently the solution is already out there 🙄

I find the whole reform, as you said, quite interesting because, if I'm not mistaken, a non-negligible amount of income for the whole island comes from gambling taxes and fees.

Anyway, the idea of global gambling regulations sounds very promising, and I agree it would be an imminent step closer to player protection in general.

Since you are, for obvious reasons, interested in a global approach, I'd like to mention a project called

Global Self-Exclusion Initiative

It started with a vision.

Now, it stands like this:

"Focus on self-exclusion best practice and recommendation of standards

While working on specific solutions for the GSES, we realized that online gambling lacks unified standards for self-exclusion. This creates a significant gap in terms of the effectiveness of self-exclusion within the industry, and within the global system as a whole. To address this issue, the next 18 months will see the Initiative focus on a collaborative project involving research and key stakeholders."

Hopefully, you find it interesting enough.

Yes I am aware of the initiative and did exchange emails with Dr M Carran.

I am keen to see this progress and will watch with much interest.

GAMSTOP is a great UKGC tool but, without a universal standard, responsible gambling and social responsibility, outside the UK, doesn’t go far enough.

Sadly, this limitation is applicable to all "local" tools/databases.

Thus, racing unity is inevitable in order to fulfill the idea that started this initiative.

It's nice to see that it does not go unnoticed!

Costa Rica Gaming License: Does it even exist?

I will start a separate discussion when I have a bit more time but here is a little appetiser that may peak your interest!

There is no such thing as a Costa Rica gaming license but this doesn’t mean that you cannot operate an online gambling business from Costa Rica. While there’s no licensing authority, specific iGaming laws, or any kind of regulatory framework for the sector, this doesn’t mean that the door is closed on it as a jurisdiction.

Some corporate service providers will try and sell a Costa Rica Gaming License with a hefty price tag, but they aren’t being totally honest. While it ispossible to set up an online gambling company in Costa Rica, any talk of a ‘license’ is misleading. 

A Costa Rica gambling company is a corporate entity that has its object defined as online gambling. This allows the operator to conduct online gambling activities from Costa Rica in the absence of any specific regulatory framework for online casinos and betting.

https://fastoffshore.com/what-we-do/packaged-services/costa-rica-gaming-license/

So it looks like we could agree that the Costa Rica license is probably not so trustworthy and players should be careful with casinos that have it. If it can be called a license at all. So thanks for all this interesting and certainly educational info and if you find any other supporting details, don't hesitate to share them with us.  

After initial research 🧐 I would say the Costa Rica gambling ‘whatever’ that cannot be referred to as a ‘legitimate license‘, is most definitely untrustworthy!

I will commence further research, at some stage!

I came to the same conclusion earlier. 🙁

Did you find any signs of how to submit a complaint or get in touch with this licensing authority as a player?

I'm afraid there's no way to report to them.

I see you have already had a similar conversation a year ago so I will park this now!

https://casino.guru/forum/feedback-and-suggestions/costa-rica-as-a-licensing-authority

Good day to you!

An immersively keen eye! I forgot about this thread, to be honest. Still, the one you found is solely about Costa Rica. In the current conversation, however, I was trying to say that the vacuum in Curacao could potentially cast many casinos toward Costa Rica's "license."

When it comes to your relentless investigation, though, feel free to follow this newly discovered thread. 🙏

Thank you for that!

Rather an interesting article posted by Casino Guru, which makes me wonder what lessons the Curaçao Gaming Board could take from this:

Illegal gambling remains a challenge despite tough regulations in Germany

https://casino.guru/news/in-depth/illegal-gambling-remains-a-challenge-despite-tough-regulations-in-germany-4022

New study: State Treaty on Gambling misses targets

https://www.dswv.de/neue-studie-glucksspielstaatsvertrag-verfehlt-ziele/

I have quite a clean outcome from our article:

Over-regulation benefits illegal gambling operators

"Still, whether or not the country will make meaningful changes to its gambling sector remains to be decided by its lawmakers and its gambling regulator."

I'd say this is pretty obvious, at least to me.

Thanks for the heads-up on the second article.

The study in the above link warned that approximately half of the online gambling activities in Germany take place via the illegal market. 

That is astonishing to me.

Alas, I do not want to navigate away from the title topic but it is encouraging to see safer gambling discussions happening!

The Curaçao Licensing is a gray area in casino industry, some big brands don't even want to be listed with casinos having Curaçao licensing.

But it doesn't mean all Curaçao licensed casinos are terrible, players should always do research and review T&C before putting deposit and playing.

CasinoGuru is doing good job at casino review, but it's always better to know more aspects, find more test and reviews.

Hi, that's true, I think. It is always necessary to read the Terms and Conditions in certain cases and the more relevant information the better. Player experience is also important in such cases and of course not all casinos that have a certain license are necessarily wrong. But it is definitely important to be informed where players deposit. 

Introduction

When I use information from other sources, I will cite them accordingly. Otherwise, I will share my personal experiences and insights.

After a recent relapse into gambling, I found myself delving deeply into online casino licensing and regulatory frameworks. While I won’t dwell on my personal struggles, I want to highlight the significant reforms and transformations taking place in the Curacao Gaming and Casino Licensing Ordinance.

Licensing in Curacao (Before Reform)

I won’t elaborate extensively since this information is readily available online, but essentially, there are four main licensors in Curacao who issue sub-licenses. This system is largely outdated and in dire need of modernization.W : Software Development Company

I aim to explore the implications of these changes for casinos with Curacao licenses and, more importantly, what these changes mean for players, especially those who are vulnerable. (For the record, I have no intention of returning to gambling. This experience was a wake-up call, and I want to help others avoid similar pitfalls.)

Starting September 1, 2023, Curaçao’s gambling landscape will undergo significant changes as the government implements stricter licensing rules.

Currently, the system permits licenses to proliferate relatively unchecked, allowing companies with government-issued licenses to offer sub-licenses on their own terms.

Concerned about potential unfair practices, the Curaçao government is enacting a new law to overhaul gambling regulations on the island. A new Curacao Gaming Authority will be established to issue both B2C and B2B licenses, aiming to prevent money laundering, increase transparency, and promote responsible gambling.

These changes are already in progress, with a transition period extending to 2025. The online portal is now open for new license and sublicense applications.

While these reforms may meet resistance and cause frustration for some operators, they will ultimately lead to a more tightly regulated gambling environment, with a focus on safety, transparency, and responsible gaming.

Hey everyone. I guess I am late for the active discussion but as a worker from the gambling industry I can tell that Curacao is not a thing anymore in Europe particularly. Yes, it is still the most popular license but lots of operators are looking for better alternatives. We are now checking Kahnawake, Anjouan, and Tobique at the same time trying to understand which one is better. Here is also an article from a huge European news portal that might help — https://europeangaming.eu/portal/latest-news/2024/08/27/165517/still-working-under-risky-curacao-here-are-3-reliable-alternative-licenses/