The Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA) needs little introduction in this industry. While it appears to operate like other international organisations in principle, such as the Gambling Commission or the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), it has developed a far more lenient, laissez-faire reputation.
However, despite the CGA’s best efforts to reinvigorate its standards, several scandals have still emerged from Curaçao-licensed operators behaving illegally. These brands have come under global scrutiny, and Curaçao has been dragged into the spotlight alongside them.
What is Curaçao saying about its Gaming Control Board?
An article in the Curaçao Chronicle recently asked an important question: “What role does Curaçao play in the global online gambling industry, and how long can it afford to look the other way?”
The article went on to explain that, while “Curaçao has been known as one of the world’s most accessible licensing hubs,” the focus has shifted from illegal casinos themselves to the bodies allowing them thrive, including payment processors, suppliers and gambling authorities.
“The real issue is not whether Curaçao should abandon its role in the online gambling sector,” the article continued. “That is neither realistic nor economically desirable.”
The article explained that if Curaçao continues to be seen as a “weak link in the global regulatory chain,” this will likely have consequences for the island down the line.
What legal jurisdiction does the Curaçao Gaming Authority hold?
According to its official website, the CGA was first launched in 1999, with the intention of regulating any gambling businesses operating in or from Curaçao. This was extended from the land-based sector to include online gambling in March 2020. On 24 December 2024, the National Ordinance on Games of Chance (LOK) legislation was introduced.
The Curaçao Gaming Authority has been operating for years as a licensing body for offshore online gambling websites.
However, the CGA does not resolve player disputes, nor does it order gaming operators to compensate players or issue judgments.
Many international regulators have rejected the Curaçao Gaming Authority and urged players to be careful when playing at websites licensed by the organisation.
Last October, Finance Minister Javier Silvania resigned from his position when he faced accusations of fraud, embezzlement and misconduct
Why are people asking questions about Curaçao now?
Considering all of the above, we return to the pertinent question: Why now?
The CGA has been operating for years and has received its fair share of criticism in this time. Scandals emerging from Curaçao-licensed companies are not a recent development, yet local media and international fraud experts are suddenly turning more attention to the Authority.
Last summer, Curaçao’s Public Prosecutor’s Office (PPO) reached an out-of-court settlement worth 360,000 Caribbean Guilder ($199,870.63) with 12 unidentified casino operators.
Last month, the KSA issued a record fine of €24.8m ($28.9m) against Novatech alone.
The gulf between the two regulatory actions is staggering and, while the first fine may have seemed reasonable, the big hit from the KSA may have been the wake-up call some needed.
Is the Curaçao Gaming Authority being investigated?
Last October, Finance Minister Javier Silvania resigned from his position when he faced accusations of fraud, embezzlement and misconduct. Lawmakers questioned how far the CGA was involved in these schemes, but no details have been made public.
A few months later, an official investigation into the CGA was launched by the Curaçao and Sint Maarten Financial Supervision Board (CFT) and the Criminal Investigation Cooperation Team (RMT). The investigation was later denied by officials, but it was another mark against the CGA in the Public Court of Opinion.
Speaking of which, the recent Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere documentary exposed the working relationship between many CGA-licensed casinos and individuals pushing dangerous agendas online. Many of these influencers promote online gambling, misogyny and real-world crime – sometimes all in the same sentence.
Is Malta also affected by this issue?
Another key player in this story is Malta. Similar to Curaçao, the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) licenses casinos that operate across several countries, as opposed to other regulators who only license companies to operate within their borders.
However, the MGA has also made headlines several times in the last few months, particularly when an ethical hacker claims to have information that could reveal clandestine operations from the regulator.
Malta, of course, is also now at the centre of a key liability discussion within gaming, as the European Court of Justice looks intent on absolving any power an MGA licence holds across EU nations.
All eyes, then, will remain on the MGA, but particularly the CGA, as developments progress.
The Ethical Gambling Forum is being held in the UK this week
