Curaçao authorities introduce new rules and requirements for obtaining gambling licences

The Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA) has begun consulting companies on the new requirements of the National Gaming Decree (LOK). The new law is expected to ensure that gambling companies licensed in Curaçao are not only registered on paper but also contribute to the local economy.

CGA consultant, Aydin Shortt, also emphasised that stakeholders will have the opportunity to share their views before the rules are finalised.

According to Article 5.12, operators will be required to:

companies receiving new licences will be required to hire at least one key employee in addition to a local managing director during the first four years. This employee must work full-time, be registered in the Curaçao population register, and reside on the island. Starting in the fifth year, licence holders will be required to have three key employees.
own real estate in Curaçao, including an office used exclusively for gambling-related activities. The office must be properly equipped and physically separated from other businesses.

However, there will be several exceptions for companies that:

were established no more than one year prior to applying for a licence.
do not have any ultimate beneficial owners (UBOs) who have been associated with other gambling companies in the last two years.
have gross gaming revenue (GGR) not exceeding 20 million guilders (approximately $11–12 million) in the year prior to obtaining the licence and in the first three years after it is issued.

To ensure compliance, licence holders claiming exemptions must submit audited financial statements to the CGA every six months.

These measures mark an important step in Curaçao’s efforts to reform the gaming sector. For many years, the island’s licensing regime has been criticised for its weak oversight, but the new system aims to strengthen regulation, ensure gaming companies contribute to the local economy, and offer more reliable protection to players.

Stakeholders now have several weeks to submit their comments during the consultation process, after which the final requirements will be introduced.