Information about Curaçao casinos
The Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA) is one of the most well-known jurisdictions for online gaming licenses and many internet casinos hold one to access different markets and show that they follow certain safety measures.
Casinos with the Curaçao gambling license have proved that they meet certain standards, although these aren't as high as other certificates, such as the Malta license.
You can find the best Curaçao online casinos by using the rating and review system on this page, and you can also read about what the license involves and the authority behind it.
The Curaçao Gaming Authority
The Curaçao Gaming Authority is one of the oldest such institutions in the world, providing licenses to gaming providers since 1996. Its aim is to regulate the conduct of operators under its jurisdiction by making sure they comply with certain standards set out in the license.
Note: But Curaçao's a small island in the Caribbean, why there? Well, the country legally recognizes eGaming as a professional activity: many countries simply haven't updated their law to reflect interactive gaming within their borders.
Curaçao is a member or an associate of several international treaties and organizations that combat money laundering of terrorism, such as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), and is recognized as a safe and stable nation in its own right.
In the country itself, English is widely-spoken — the lingua franca across the gaming industry — and the application process for the licence is quick and cheap. The CGA was one of the first in the world to recognize the need for eGaming legislation, which is one of the reasons why it has hundreds of companies worldwide under its scope today.
Another key attraction of operating in Curaçao is the zero VAT and tax on corporate profits: ideal for a start-up that needs to keep costs low to get up and running, as well as bigger companies who might be charged much more in their native countries.
In recent years, the Curaçao Gaming Authority has been quick to embrace cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, with the coins now being permitted payment methods for their operators. Such an open stance is likely to attract further applicants in the future who are eager for a forward-looking license. Good news for players who like to play in cryptocurrency casinos.
Drawbacks to the Curacao license
Despite its obvious plus points, the Curaçao license isn't as highly valued as licences such as those from the Malta Gaming Authority and the UK Gambling Commission. Those jurisdictions demand much higher standards from their applicants and are more expensive to get.
Note: The Curacao Gaming Authority was also hit with controversy in 2006 when reports emerged of several casinos under its jurisdiction using pirated Netent and Novomatic software. They never explained how the casinos were able to use the software undetected and the incident remains a black spot on the CGA's history.
In any event, many online casinos display the Curaçao Gaming logo on their website, despite the question marks surrounding it.
The Curaçao eGaming license and what it involves
There are two types of Curaçao gaming license: the master license and a sublicense. The master license grants the holder the power to give other providers a sublicense, and, as such, the Authority has only approved a handful of these since 1996.
The Curaçao sublicense is what operators nearly always apply for and is best viewed as an all-in-one package. Successful applicants get one license that covers all forms of interactive gaming including casinos, sports betting and lotteries.
Note: The sublicense also includes specialized turnkey solutions which assist Curaçao businesses in developing their services. These are professional services, including custom dedicated servers, cloud storage and GEO IP services.
To get a sublicense, the applicant must provide the following:
- Identity papers from the owners, such as passports and a bank reference
- A reference letter from a professional, like a police officer or lawyer, to verify the owners as fit and proper
- Confirmation of business gaming policies, proof of domain ownership and software agreements
- A commitment to a random number generator — essential for games of chance.
Each operator also needs to pass anti-fraud tests conducted by the authority. When successful, they are permitted to display the jurisdiction's blue 'valid' logo: companies that are under investigation will have the 'attention valid' logo, a blue logo with an exclamation mark.
Once the entity acquires the license, they must follow certain regulations in order to keep it. These include Responsible Gambling guidelines and anti-money laundering and terrorism measures, as well as specific rules for each type of betting entity.
Making a complaint via the Curaçao Gaming Authority
A key part of staying safe on online betting sites is a robust complaints procedure that allows a player to seek action should they feel unfairly treated. If this happens to you, then you should start by letting the casino know directly that you are not happy with their service and they should try to address your concern.
If this doesn't work, you can go to the CGA website directly and fill out their complaint form with as much information as you can — although they tend to side with the casino. Alternatively, you can use our complaint resolution center to try and settle the problem with the help of our complaint specialists.
How to find the best Curaçao casino online
Finding a casino with a Curaçao license is one thing, but unfortunately some can be unscrupulous and treat their customers badly. After all, the license is not as strict as other certificates, which might lead to a drop in standards. That said, there are many great Curaçao sites out there, so it's good to know how to choose one.
This is where this page can help you. Casino Guru's team of expert scrutinizes every Curaçao-licensed casino and gives it a rating out of ten, plus a detailed review. To find the best of these, select the 'Recommended' tab on this page: these will give you the best chance of an enjoyable gaming experience.
From the other tabs, you'll see a 'Newly opened' tab that will give you the most recent Curaçao casinos on our database, while the 'All' tab displays the full list of options.
Elsewhere on the page you'll see other filters that can narrow your options down further. If you have a preferred game provider, for example, go to the 'Game provider' section and choose your preferred option: Playtech and Microgaming are popular choices. You can also select your favored money tender by ticking the relevant box in the 'Currency' section.
Note: This is only an outline of the casino search process, which can involve many other aspects. To read in more detail about what else you can consider, read our How to choose an online casino article to put you on the path to the ideal casino.
