Curaçao Regulator Extends Provisional Gambling Licences

The Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA) has confirmed that a group of gambling operators approaching the end of their second provisional licence period may continue operating while regulatory reviews remain underway. The clarification, issued in an announcement dated December 23, addresses uncertainty for licensees awaiting a final decision under the island’s updated gambling framework.

According to the CGA, the authority has not yet determined whether to grant indefinite licences to certain operators whose provisional approvals are close to expiring. The regulator cited the scale of information submitted by applicants and the time required to complete full assessments as the primary reasons for the delay.

“Given the high amount of information collected from the operators and the time needed for proper vetting thereof, the CGA has not yet reached a final decision on the indefinite license for a group of operators whose expiry date of the second period of provisional license is nearby,” the authority stated.

The provisional licensing process is governed by the Landsverordening op de Kansspelen (LOK), Curaçao’s modernized gambling legislation. Under this framework, the CGA may grant an initial provisional licence for six months, followed by one additional six-month extension. This period allows operators time to meet all regulatory and compliance requirements set out in the law.

Once the second provisional period concludes, the LOK requires the regulator to decide whether an operator qualifies for a final, indefinite licence. That determination must be based on the criteria defined in Article 2.2, paragraph 2 of the legislation. The CGA emphasized that it remains bound by these legal requirements and that the current delays reflect the depth of the review rather than any change in policy.

The authority’s announcement applies only to operators already holding provisional licences and nearing the end of their second term. It does not signal an automatic approval or rejection of indefinite licences, nor does it modify the standards operators must ultimately meet.

The CGA stressed that the ongoing assessments do not affect the legal standing of the operators involved. “The CGA assessment for this group is still in progress, and no final decision has been made at this stage,” the regulator said. It added that “until a final decision is rendered and communicated to the operator, the current status remains unaffected.”

To ensure clarity, the authority said each affected operator will receive individual confirmation. “The respective operators will receive a separate letter from the CGA stating the above,” the regulator confirmed.

This assurance is expected to provide short-term certainty for licensees that rely on uninterrupted operations while awaiting regulatory outcomes. The clarification also signals that the CGA does not intend to disrupt lawful activity solely due to administrative timelines, provided operators remain within the bounds of their existing provisional approvals.

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The CGA’s statement is likely to draw close attention from offshore gambling operators licensed in Curaçao. Many companies continue to navigate the shift from the island’s former licensing model to the LOK regime, which was introduced as part of broader reforms aimed at strengthening regulatory oversight, compliance standards, and international credibility.

Curaçao has served as a licensing hub for online gambling for more than 30 years. As part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the island has positioned itself as an offshore business center supported by a developed services sector and favorable fiscal conditions. Alongside tourism, oil refining, logistics, and financial services, iGaming has become a significant contributor to the local economy.

The roots of Curaçao’s gambling regulation date back to 1993, when the National Offshore Gambling Decree was enacted. Licence issuance began in 1996, marking the jurisdiction’s formal entry into the online gambling sector.

For decades, the system operated through master licences and sub-licences. Master licences, issued by the Ministry of Justice for five-year terms, allowed holders to offer gambling services and issue sub-licences to third parties. Sub-licences remained valid for as long as the master licence stayed in force. While the law technically permitted any entity to apply, only four master licence holders existed in practice.

Source:

““, curacaochronicle.com, December 27 2025