Curaçao licenses online gaming directly via the Curaçao Gaming Authority under the LOK (in force 24 Dec 2024); B2C and B2B licences.
Licensing model
Open Licensing
Online regulated since
24 Dec 2024
Minimum age
18
Official language
Dutch, English, Papiamentu
Licence types
4
On this page
Key points for operators and suppliers
1
Licences are issued directly by the CGA; the old master/sub-licence model under the LBH has been replaced
2
Applicant must be a Curaçao N.V. or B.V. with at least one Curaçao-resident director
3
B2C: EUR 4592 application fee plus EUR 47450 per year in licence rights; supplier licence: EUR 24490 per year
4
Mandatory supplier licensing for critical services and a supplier register apply from 24 December 2026
5
Local substance (key staff and office) is postponed to 1 April 2027; player data must be kept on a Curaçao Tier IV data centre
What Curaçao asks of a licensee
The four questions that decide whether a market is worth entering.
Not requiredSeparate B2B supplier licence1 supplier licence type
RequiredLocally incorporated entity
RequiredServers or data held locally
Not requiredLocal domain or landing page
Online gaming in and from Curaçao is regulated by the National Ordinance on Games of Chance (LOK, P.B. 2024 no. 157), which entered into force on 24 December 2024 and replaced the old master/sub-licence system under the National Ordinance on Offshore Games of Hazard (LBH, 1993). The Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA, formerly Gaming Control Board) now issues licences directly to Curaçao-incorporated N.V./B.V. companies: B2C gaming licences and supplier (B2B) licences, plus certificates for non-critical service providers such as test labs and ADR bodies. LBH licence holders were moved onto provisional licences by operation of law under the LOK transitional rules. The statutory ban on supplying critical services or goods without a supplier licence (Art. 1.5) and the registration duty for suppliers take effect on 24 December 2026, and the local substance requirement has been postponed to 1 April 2027.
Which verticals are legal in Curaçao
Status is the position for a licensed operator, not for offshore supply.
Daily Fantasy Sports
Not stated
Esports Betting
Not stated
Horse Racing / Pool Betting
Not stated
Land-based Casino
Licensed
Brick-and-mortar casinos need a CGA casino licence and are open only to Curaçao N.V./B.V. companies.
Online Bingo
Not stated
Online Casino
Licensed
Covered by the LOK remote gaming licence (Art. 5.1).
Online Lottery
Not stated
Online Poker
Licensed
The LOK definition of a game of chance expressly includes poker.
Online Sports Betting
Licensed
The LOK definition of a game of chance expressly includes sports betting.
Retail Betting
Licensed
Sports betting inside licensed casinos is governed by the CGA licence regulation on Sports Betting (Dec 2013).
Skill Games
Not stated
Social / Sweepstakes Casino
Not stated
Curaçao licence types and what they cost4
Fees are the published headline figures. Tiered and revenue-banded amounts
are set out in the notes under each licence.
Leveranciersvergunning (Supplier licence for critical services or goods, B2B)
B2B Supplier
Companies supplying critical gaming-related services or goods (those that determine game outcomes or are essential to licensee compliance) in or from Curaçao. The prohibition on supplying without it applies from 2026-12-24.
Application
EUR 4,592
Annual
EUR 24,490
Term
—
Processing
Decision within 8 weeks of application, extendable by up to 8 weeks
Application fee EUR 4592 plus EUR 150 per UBO, EUR 128 per qualifying holding and EUR 2551 per listed UBO. Annual licence right is EUR 24490 to the CGA. Amounts may be CPI-indexed.
Conditions to satisfy
Curaçao N.V. or B.V. with statutory seat in Curaçao
Fit and proper UBOs and key persons
Liquidity and solvency information
Registration in CGA supplier register (from 2026-12-24)
Online CasinoOnline Sports BettingOnline Poker
Casino licence
Land-based
Operators of brick-and-mortar casinos in Curaçao, together with personal licences for key staff.
Application
—
Annual
—
Term
—
Processing
—
Conditions to satisfy
Curaçao N.V. or B.V.
Casino and personal licence application forms
Compliance with CGA MICS and technical standards
Land-based CasinoRetail Betting
Certificate under Article 5.17 LOK
Ancillary / Other
Natural or legal persons providing non-critical gaming-related services or goods to remote gaming licensees, such as test laboratories and ADR providers. Lawyers and other liberal professions are excluded.
Application
EUR 383
Annual
—
Term
3 years
Processing
Decision within 6 weeks, extendable by up to 6 weeks
Flat EUR 383 application fee. No annual fee is set in the LOK.
Conditions to satisfy
Demonstrated knowledge, experience and qualities for the service
Kansspelvergunning voor kansspelen op afstand (Gaming licence for remote games of chance, B2C)
B2C Operator
Any company organising or offering games of chance to players remotely in or from Curaçao.
Application
EUR 4,592
Annual
EUR 47,450
Term
—
Processing
Two phases: phase 1 (integrity and finances) decided within 8 weeks, phase 2 within 8 weeks of a complete file, each extendable by 4 weeks; a provisional licence of up to 6 months (+6) is possible during phase 2
Application fee EUR 4592 plus EUR 150 per UBO, EUR 150 per qualifying holding (10%+) and EUR 2551 per listed UBO. The annual licence right is EUR 22960 to the CGA plus EUR 24490 to the Treasury, pro rata in year 1 and then due by 15 January. Other fees: EUR 250 per domain or app, EUR 13 per game added, EUR 128 per UBO or qualifying-holder change. Amounts may be CPI-indexed.
Conditions to satisfy
Curaçao N.V. or B.V. with statutory seat in Curaçao
At least one Curaçao-resident director
CGA-approved ADR provider
goAML registration
Responsible gambling policy
Sufficient liquidity to pay prizes
Player data on Tier IV data centre in Curaçao
Local substance (Art. 5.12) postponed to 2027-04-01
Online CasinoOnline Sports BettingOnline Poker
Leveranciersvergunning (Supplier licence for critical services or goods, B2B)
B2B Supplier
Companies supplying critical gaming-related services or goods (those that determine game outcomes or are essential to licensee compliance) in or from Curaçao. The prohibition on supplying without it applies from 2026-12-24.
Application
EUR 4,592
Annual
EUR 24,490
Term
—
Processing
Decision within 8 weeks of application, extendable by up to 8 weeks
Application fee EUR 4592 plus EUR 150 per UBO, EUR 128 per qualifying holding and EUR 2551 per listed UBO. Annual licence right is EUR 24490 to the CGA. Amounts may be CPI-indexed.
Conditions to satisfy
Curaçao N.V. or B.V. with statutory seat in Curaçao
Fit and proper UBOs and key persons
Liquidity and solvency information
Registration in CGA supplier register (from 2026-12-24)
Online CasinoOnline Sports BettingOnline Poker
Casino licence
Land-based
Operators of brick-and-mortar casinos in Curaçao, together with personal licences for key staff.
Application
—
Annual
—
Term
—
Processing
—
Conditions to satisfy
Curaçao N.V. or B.V.
Casino and personal licence application forms
Compliance with CGA MICS and technical standards
Land-based CasinoRetail Betting
Kansspelvergunning voor kansspelen op afstand (Gaming licence for remote games of chance, B2C)
B2C Operator
Any company organising or offering games of chance to players remotely in or from Curaçao.
Application
EUR 4,592
Annual
EUR 47,450
Term
—
Processing
Two phases: phase 1 (integrity and finances) decided within 8 weeks, phase 2 within 8 weeks of a complete file, each extendable by 4 weeks; a provisional licence of up to 6 months (+6) is possible during phase 2
Application fee EUR 4592 plus EUR 150 per UBO, EUR 150 per qualifying holding (10%+) and EUR 2551 per listed UBO. The annual licence right is EUR 22960 to the CGA plus EUR 24490 to the Treasury, pro rata in year 1 and then due by 15 January. Other fees: EUR 250 per domain or app, EUR 13 per game added, EUR 128 per UBO or qualifying-holder change. Amounts may be CPI-indexed.
Conditions to satisfy
Curaçao N.V. or B.V. with statutory seat in Curaçao
At least one Curaçao-resident director
CGA-approved ADR provider
goAML registration
Responsible gambling policy
Sufficient liquidity to pay prizes
Player data on Tier IV data centre in Curaçao
Local substance (Art. 5.12) postponed to 2027-04-01
Online CasinoOnline Sports BettingOnline Poker
Certificate under Article 5.17 LOK
Ancillary / Other
Natural or legal persons providing non-critical gaming-related services or goods to remote gaming licensees, such as test laboratories and ADR providers. Lawyers and other liberal professions are excluded.
Application
EUR 383
Annual
—
Term
3 years
Processing
Decision within 6 weeks, extendable by up to 6 weeks
Flat EUR 383 application fee. No annual fee is set in the LOK.
Conditions to satisfy
Demonstrated knowledge, experience and qualities for the service
Gaming tax and regulatory charges
Everything a licensee pays in Curaçao on top of the licence fee.
Full customer due diligence must be completed once a player's transactions reach NAf 4000, calculated daily on cumulative deposits and withdrawals. Basic identification plus PEP and sanctions screening is required at account opening.NAf 4000Source
Record retentionB2C Operator
Transaction records and CDD documentation must be kept for at least five years.5 yearsSource
Remote onboarding provisionsB2C Operator
Remote (non-face-to-face) identification and verification must follow the joint CGA/CBCS/FIU provisions. Operators already using remote onboarding solutions must comply fully by 1 May 2027.2027-05-01 deadline for existing solutionsSource
Unusual transaction reportingB2C Operator
Transactions of NAf 5000 or more (including deposits and cash-outs), transactions linked to sanctioned persons, and transactions reported to police must be reported to FIU Curaçao as unusual.NAf 5000Source
goAML registrationAll Licensees
An applicant must be registered in the goAML reporting system, where applicable; otherwise the licence is refused.Source
Responsible Gambling requirements
Ban on minorsB2C Operator
Licensees must not let minors take part in games of chance. Anyone under 18 counts as a vulnerable person.18Source
No credit to playersB2C Operator
Licensees may not grant credit to players or act as an intermediary for credit.Source
Self-exclusion minimum termB2C Operator
A player who asks in writing to be excluded must be barred for at least 12 months from the date of the request. The request cannot be revoked during that period.12 monthsSource
Vulnerable-player policyB2C Operator
Licensees must run a policy covering player information on gambling addiction, how vulnerable persons are identified, measures against excessive play, and self-exclusion options. They must not let suspected vulnerable persons play.Source
Technical & Certification requirements
Incident reporting within 24 hoursB2C Operator
Security breaches, system outages, fraud and other serious incidents must be reported to the CGA within 24 hours.24 hoursSource
Operational manualB2C Operator
Licensees must keep an up-to-date operational manual describing games, software, testing, data storage, technical infrastructure and responsible gaming measures. They must give the CGA access within 5 working days of a request.5 working daysSource
Data & Hosting requirements
Local data recordB2C Operator
Key player data, gaming transaction data and financial transaction data must be available to the CGA at all times on a server in a Tier IV-certified data centre located in Curaçao.Tier IV data centre in CuraçaoSource
Player Funds requirements
Guarantee fund membershipB2C Operator
B2C licensees must join a guarantee fund and pay a premium, which secures payout of player balances.Source
Payments requirements
Player transaction reportingB2C Operator
Licensees must report player transactions, including totals and the nature of credits and debits per account, the payment instrument used, and a pseudonymised identifier of the payment account.Source
Advertising & Marketing requirements
CGA Certificate of Operation sealB2C Operator
B2C operators must show the CGA Certificate of Operation seal on each approved player-facing domain, exactly as issued, linking to cert.cga.cw. The certificate page must show the same domain.Source
Marketing and bonus standardsB2C Operator
Marketing and advertising, including bonus offers, must not encourage excessive play, mislead, or target vulnerable persons. More detailed rules may be set by national decree.Source
Other requirements
Complaints and ADRB2C Operator
Players may complain free of charge within 6 months of an incident. The licensee must acknowledge within 1 week and give a reasoned decision within 4 weeks (extendable once by 4 weeks). ADR must be offered at the licensee's cost.4 weeksSource
Local substanceAll Licensees
Licensees must employ Curaçao-registered key persons (1, rising to 3 from year 5) full-time and keep dedicated office premises in Curaçao, subject to small-operator exemptions. A general extension means this is not enforced before 1 April 2027.1 key person (3 from year 5)Source
Periodic reporting and accountsB2C Operator
Change reports on the operational manual are due by 15 June and 15 January. Annual accounts are due by 30 June of the following year.15 Jun / 15 Jan; 30 JunSource
Recent regulatory changes
Newest first. Each entry links to the notice it came from.
Guidance
Provisions for remote identification and verification take effect
The CGA, Central Bank and FIU jointly issued rules for non-face-to-face customer onboarding. Existing remote onboarding solutions must be fully compliant by 1 May 2027.
Effective 01 May 2027gamingcontrol.spin-cdn.com
Other
Supplier licence and registration duty applies from 24 December 2026
Under LOK Art. 15.10(3), the ban on supplying critical services without a supplier licence and the ban on licensees using unregistered suppliers take effect two years after the LOK. The CGA says its supplier registration function must be live by 24 December 2026.
Effective 24 Dec 2026gamingcontrol.spin-cdn.com
Enforcement Policy
CGA publishes compliance and enforcement policy for online gaming
The policy sets out a phased, risk-based enforcement approach and an escalation ladder, from warnings through orders and administrative fines to licence suspension or revocation. Protecting minors and vulnerable persons is the top priority.
gamingcontrol.spin-cdn.com
Other
Local substance requirement postponed to April 2027
A general extension was granted under LOK Art. 5.12(6), so operators need not meet the local staff and office requirement before 1 April 2027. A ministerial decree was announced to formalise the decision.
Effective 01 Apr 2027gamingcontrol.spin-cdn.com
Guidance
CGA publishes AML/CFT/CPF regulations for land-based and online casinos
New AML/CFT/CPF regulations apply to land-based and online gaming providers, including a NAf 4000 CDD threshold. Compliance was required by 10 April 2025.
Effective 10 Apr 2025gamingcontrol.spin-cdn.com
New Law
National Ordinance on Games of Chance (LOK) enters into force
The LOK replaced the offshore gaming ordinance (LBH) and made the CGA an independent authority that licenses online gaming operators and suppliers directly. Existing LBH licensees received provisional licences under transitional rules.
The Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA), formerly the Gaming Control Board, licenses and supervises online gaming under the National Ordinance on Games of Chance (LOK), in force since 24 December 2024. The CGA is also the AML/CFT supervisor for the whole gaming sector.
Does Curaçao still use master licences and sub-licences?
No. The LOK replaced the old offshore gaming ordinance (LBH), under which master licence holders granted sub-licences. The CGA now licenses each operator directly, and licences cannot be transferred or lent to others. LBH holders moved to provisional LOK licences under the transitional rules.
Do B2B suppliers need a Curaçao licence?
The CGA already issues supplier (B2B) licences for critical services and goods. The legal ban on supplying critical services in or from Curaçao without one, and the ban on licensees using unregistered suppliers, take effect on 24 December 2026. Non-critical providers such as test labs and ADR bodies can obtain a certificate under Art. 5.17.
How much does a Curaçao online gaming licence cost?
A B2C application costs EUR 4592 plus per-UBO and per-shareholder amounts. The annual licence right is EUR 47450 (EUR 22960 to the CGA and EUR 24490 to the Treasury). A supplier licence has the same base application fee and an annual fee of EUR 24490.
What corporate and local requirements apply?
The applicant must be a Curaçao N.V. or B.V. with at least one Curaçao-resident director. Key player and transaction data must be held on a Tier IV data centre in Curaçao. The requirement for local key staff and office premises has been postponed to 1 April 2027.
What is the minimum gambling age?
Licensees may not allow minors to play. The LOK treats anyone under 18 as a vulnerable person who must be kept from gambling.
How can I check whether a Curaçao licence is valid?
The CGA publishes an online gaming licence registry, an enforcement register and a certificate register on its licence register page. For B2C websites, the CGA seal must link to cert.cga.cw and show the same domain.
Does the CGA handle player complaints?
Operators must handle complaints within set deadlines and offer alternative dispute resolution at their own cost. The CGA does not resolve individual disputes, but it uses complaints to detect breaches, and CGA-approved ADR providers are listed in its certificate register.
Primary legislation and instruments
The statutes, regulations and technical standards this page is built from.
Regulations for the combating of Money Laundering, the Financing of Terrorism and Proliferation of weapons of mass destructionCGA AML/CFT/CPF Regulations 2025
Guidance · In Force · 10 Jan 2025
CGA AML/CFT/CPF regulations for land-based casinos and online gaming providers. They cover risk assessments, CDD thresholds, unusual transaction reporting, record keeping and the compliance programme.
Landsverordening op de kansspelen (National Ordinance on Games of Chance)LOK
Act / Law · In Force · 20 Dec 2024
Framework law for games of chance in and from Curaçao. It sets up the CGA as an independent authority and covers B2C gaming licences, supplier licences and certificates for remote gaming, player protection, fees and enforcement.
Former basis for Curaçao online gaming licences, which operated as master licences with sub-licensing. It was repealed by the LOK but still applies transitionally to pending LBH applicants until their applications are decided.
Landsverordening identificatie bij dienstverlening (National Ordinance on Identification when Rendering Services)LID / NOIS
Act / Law · Amended
Customer identification and verification (CDD) duties for service providers. It covers casinos and remote games of chance and, via the LOK, suppliers of critical services.
Landsverordening melding ongebruikelijke transacties (National Ordinance on the Reporting of Unusual Transactions)LMOT / NORUT
Act / Law · Amended
Requires service providers, including online gaming licensees, to report unusual transactions to FIU Curaçao.
Provisions for Identification and Verification without Physical Contact
Guidance · In Force
Joint CGA, Central Bank and FIU rules implementing NOIS Art. 3(1) for remote (non-face-to-face) customer identification and verification.
Compiled from official regulator and government sources, most recently on 26 Sept 2026. It is a starting point for commercial research, not legal advice — confirm the current position with the CGA or local counsel before you act on it.
