The government of Curaçao is currently in the process of realizing a complete reform and modernization of its (online) gambling legislation through a new law that will be named the Landsverordening op de kansspelen (Lok). In anticipation of the entry into force of the Lok, the Minister of Finance of Curaçao has decided to resume issuing licenses under the current law, the National Ordinance on Offshore Games of Hazard (Landsverordening buitengaatse hazardspelen, P.B. 1993, no. 63) (NOOGH), under strict(er) conditions as of November 2023. With this, the Minister of Finance wishes to create a transition framework that will contribute to a smooth transition from the existing to the new law.
In light of the foregoing, this portal is intended for:
A significant number of operators – in practice referred to as sub-licensees - are currently operating under one of the licenses granted to four of the license holders on the basis of the National Ordinance on Offshore Games of Hazard (Landsverordening buitengaatse hazardspelen, P.B. 1993, no. 63) (NOOGH). The government of Curacao wishes to obtain a picture of the number of sub-licensees in Curaçao. For this reason, these operators must be registered through this portal, before they can apply for a license under the existing or future law. Such registration will be possible as of November 1, 2023 until March 31, 2024.
Only operators established in Curaçao and operating under an existing license issued on the basis of the NOOGH can be registered through the Census Account of this portal. The required information of the sub- licenses must be provided, so that the GCB can verify that they are indeed legally established in Curacao and operating under an existing license. A successful registration does not entail any form of regulatory approval of the operations of the sub-licensee.
As of November 15, 2023, the GCB accepts and processes online gaming license applications from operators who wish to acquire an online gaming license directly from the GCB. Such applications are possible through the Licensee Account on this portal. Both existing and new operators can apply for a license through the License Account.
The license of an operator who obtained a direct license from the GCB under the current law, prior to the Lok entering into force will, according to the current draft of the Lok, automatically be converted to a provisional license when the law enters into force. However, sub-licensees who wish to fall under this provision must apply for a license before March 31st, 2024.
Any sub-licensee wishing to continue operating in Curacao, but has not applied for a direct license prior to March 31st, 2024, can only continue operating under their sub-license until the master license expires or when the Lok enters into force, whichever date is sooner. Such sub-licensees will not be able to obtain a direct license under the current law anymore and will need to apply for a new license under the Lok.
