Curacao Gaming Licence Explained: The 2024 Reform and the CGA
The short answer
Since 24 December 2024, online gambling licensed from Curacao falls under the National Ordinance on Games of Chance (Landsverordening op de kansspelen, or LOK), supervised by the Curacao Gaming Authority (CGA). The old model, where a few master licence holders let other operators run under their licence, has been replaced by licences issued by the regulator to each operator directly.
To check a Curacao licence, look the operator up in the CGA’s own licence register rather than trusting a footer logo. A licence gives you a regulated complaint route and AML and responsible gambling rules, but the CGA does not settle individual player disputes, so it is not a payout guarantee.
What changed in Curacao’s 2024 reform?
The CGA says it began a phased reform of the online gaming regime in November 2023. The LOK then came into force on 24 December 2024. Key points:
- New law. The LOK replaced the old National Ordinance on Offshore Games of Hazard (Landsverordening buitengaatse hazardspelen, LBH), the basis of the old master licence system. The LBH was repealed but still applies, under transitional rules, to applications that were pending until they are decided.
- New regulator. The Curacao Gaming Control Board became the Curacao Gaming Authority, designated by the LOK as an independent administrative body.
- Direct licences. Under the LBH, online gaming ran through a small number of master licence holders, who in practice let other operators run as sub-licensees. The LOK’s transitional rules only gave an automatic provisional licence to existing LBH licence holders who offered the licensed games themselves, in their own operation. Every operator now needs its own licence from the CGA.
- Two-phase application. A remote gaming licence application is assessed in two phases. The first covers the integrity of the people involved (including ultimate beneficial owners and policymakers) and the applicant’s financial position. The second covers everything else the law requires.
- Supplier licences. The LOK also introduced licences for suppliers of “critical” goods and services, meaning those essential to determining game outcomes.
- Local substance. The law requires licensees to employ key staff resident in Curacao and to have their own office space there. The CGA announced a postponement of the local substance requirements in January 2026.
What does the LOK require from licensees?
These obligations are written into the law itself:
| Area | What the LOK says |
|---|---|
| Complaints | A player can complain to the licensee free of charge within six months of an incident. The licensee must confirm receipt within one week and answer with a reasoned decision within four weeks (extendable once by four weeks) |
| Dispute resolution | The licensee must always offer alternative dispute resolution, at its own cost |
| Vulnerable players | A policy covering information on addiction, identifying vulnerable players, preventing excessive play and self-exclusion. Under-18s are defined as vulnerable |
| Self-exclusion | A written self-exclusion request must be honoured for at least 12 months and cannot be reversed during that time |
| Marketing | Advertising must not be misleading or aimed at vulnerable persons |
| Player funds | The law provides for a guarantee fund that licensees join to secure payouts of player balances. Its operation depends on implementing rules, so do not treat it as a deposit guarantee today |
| Licence conditions | The CGA can set conditions on player identification, segregation of player funds, bet limits, solvency and the content of the operator’s general terms |
AML rules sit alongside the LOK. The CGA’s AML/CFT regulations, applicable to online casinos since early 2025, require full identity verification once a player’s cumulative transactions reach 4,000 Curacao guilders (about USD 2,235). See our no-KYC guide.
How do I verify a Curacao licence?
- Find the operator’s legal name and licence number in the casino’s terms and footer.
- Go to cga.cw yourself and open the License register. Do not rely on a link or seal provided by the casino.
- Open the online gaming licences list and search it for the company name. The LOK says the register shows the licence type and activities, the licensee’s name, its Chamber of Commerce registration number, the date granted and the validity status.
- Check the enforcement register on the same page for actions against the operator.
- Check the public warnings page for sites the CGA has flagged.
Two cautions. First, the CGA states that its overviews “do not guarantee the current validity of the licenses” and that “no rights can be derived from these overviews”. Second, a company being licensed does not prove that a particular website belongs to it. If the domain is not obvious, ask the casino to confirm in writing which licensed entity operates it.
What does a Curacao licence not protect?
- Individual disputes. The CGA says plainly: it “does not handle individual complaints against gaming providers. Resolving disputes between players and gaming operators is not within our mandate.” It does accept complaints that may indicate a breach of the law and may act against an operator, but it will not disclose what it does. Your route for getting money back is the operator’s complaint process and its dispute resolution.
- Legality where you live. A Curacao licence does not make a casino legal in your country. Many countries only allow locally licensed operators. Check our country pages.
- Fair terms. A licensed casino can still have harsh bonus terms or low withdrawal caps. Read them.
How do other licences compare?
| Licence | Regulator | Player complaint route | How to verify |
|---|---|---|---|
| Curacao | Curacao Gaming Authority | Operator complaint process plus mandatory ADR. CGA takes reports but does not resolve individual disputes | CGA licence register (PDF lists) |
| Anjouan | Anjouan Gaming, under the Anjouan Offshore Financial Authority (Comoros) | Third-party complaint policy published by the regulator | Public register with a “Verify a Licence” tool |
| Kahnawake | Kahnawake Gaming Commission (Mohawk Territory, Quebec, Canada) | Complaints by email or online form after going to the operator first | Permit holders list with certified URLs |
| Costa Rica | No online gaming regulator | None from a gaming authority | Nothing to verify. A Costa Rica address describes where a company is registered, not a gaming licence |
| Malta | Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) | Online complaint form for MGA licensees | Licensee register searchable by name, status, URL or gaming service, plus a list of unauthorised URLs |
A few notes:
- Anjouan is an autonomous island of the Union of the Comoros. Its regulator describes itself as the authority for internet gaming licences under Anjouan law. As with any licence, weigh the casino’s own complaint history alongside it.
- Kahnawake: the Kahnawake Gaming Commission was established in 1996. Its complaint rules require you to go to the operator first and say a complaint may be invalidated if it has been taken elsewhere or discussed publicly. Check the “last updated” date on its permit holder list.
- Malta: the MGA regulates from an EU member state and publishes an enforcement register.
Our take
Licence type is one input, not a verdict. We check that the licence exists on the regulator’s own register, that the operator named in the terms matches it, and then weigh withdrawal terms and complaint history. How we score it is on our methodology page, and the results are on our best crypto casinos list. For the full pre-deposit checklist, see how to choose a crypto casino.
Before you play
A licence does not make gambling safe for everyone. You must be 18+ (or the legal age where you live). Set limits before you play, and find tools and support on our responsible gambling page.
Sources
- Curacao Gaming Authority, online gaming regulation and complaints: https://www.cga.cw/regulation/online-gaming
- Curacao Gaming Authority, licence register: https://www.cga.cw/en/133i348441001
- National Ordinance on Games of Chance (LOK), CGA consolidated text (P.B. 2024, no. 157): https://gamingcontrol.spin-cdn.com/media/online_gaming/20241230_landsverordening_op_de_kansspelen.pdf
- CGA Compliance and Enforcement Policy for online gaming (July 2026): https://gamingcontrol.spin-cdn.com/media/online_gaming/20260717_cga_compliance_and_enforcement_policy_online_gaming.pdf
- CGA news (postponement of local substance requirements, January 2026): https://www.cga.cw/news
- Anjouan Gaming: https://anjouangaming.com/
- Kahnawake Gaming Commission, complaints and permit holders: https://www.gamingcommission.ca/interactive-gaming/complaints/ and https://www.gamingcommission.ca/interactive-gaming/permit-holders/ (founding year: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_gambling)
- Malta Gaming Authority: https://www.mga.org.mt/