Since its 2024 reform, Curaçao licenses each casino directly and requires segregated player funds and a free dispute service, but it does not settle complaints itself.
Curaçao has licensed online casinos since the 1990s, but the licence is not what it was. For most of that time, casinos traded under sublicences from a handful of private master licence holders, with licence numbers ending in /JAZ. That system ended with Curaçao's National Ordinance on Games of Chance, in force since 24 December 2024: the Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA) now licenses each operator directly, sublicensing is banned, and the transition for former sublicensees closed on 15 October 2025.
Under the current licence conditions, a Curaçao-licensed casino must:
Hold player money, including winnings owed to you, in a segregated account, and keep enough funds to pay out winnings at all times.
Use games certified by a CGA-approved testing lab, and publish the rules and, where possible, the payout percentage of each game.
Check your ID before your first withdrawal at the latest, never offer credit, and keep out anyone under 18.
Offer deposit limits (loosening one waits 24 hours), cooling-off periods and self-exclusion of at least a year, which cannot be reversed during that time.
Run a written complaints process and give you free access to an independent dispute service.
The new system is still settling. In September 2026 the CGA's register listed many operators as "Assessment in progress" while it decides on their permanent licences, and the CGA does not resolve player disputes itself. A casino's terms must also say that Curaçao law and Curaçao courts apply.
Complaints and disputes
Complain to the casino within six months of the problem. It must acknowledge the complaint within a week and give you a written, reasoned decision within four weeks, which it can extend once by another four weeks. If you are not satisfied, you can take the dispute to one of the CGA-certified dispute services, such as CADRE, EGIS ADR, ABC-ADR, iGamingADR or IBAS. It is free to you, the CGA expects the outcome to bind the casino, and it expects the process to take no more than 90 days.
The CGA says it cannot mediate, arbitrate or order a casino to compensate you. You can still report a casino to [email protected], and the CGA may act against an operator when a complaint, or a pattern of complaints, points to a breach of the law.
Who runs the Curaçao licence
The Curaçao Gaming Authority is an independent public body in Curaçao, a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It began as the Gaming Control Board, a foundation set up in 1999, and took its current name when the National Ordinance on Games of Chance came into force on 24 December 2024. Only a company based in Curaçao, with at least one director living there, can hold its casino licence.
Regulator
Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA), formerly the Gaming Control Board
Jurisdiction
Curaçao, Kingdom of the Netherlands
Law
National Ordinance on Games of Chance (in force 24 Dec 2024)
Licence numbers
OGL/… or CGA/…; numbers ending /JAZ are old master licences
Takes up player complaints
No, reports only
Independent dispute service
Required, free to you
How to check a Curaçao licence
A current Curaçao licence number looks like OGL/2024/1307/0748 or CGA/2025/994/1299, and the casino must show the green CGA seal in its footer. A number ending in /JAZ on its own is an old master licence reference, not evidence of a current licence.
Find the licence number and the green CGA seal in the casino's footer.
Click the seal. The address bar must read cert.cga.cw; a look-alike address with hyphens instead of dots exists. Check that the certificate names the same company and licence number, and that the exact web address you are on is in its list of approved domains. The CGA says a site whose domain is missing should be treated as unauthorised.
On the CGA's licence register page, open the online gaming licences PDF, search it for the licence number or company name, and read the status column.
Search the enforcement register on the same page and the CGA's public warnings for the company or web address.
Curaçao's National Ordinance on Offshore Games of Hazard becomes the basis for its online gambling licences.
1996
The first master licence, 1668/JAZ, is granted to Cyberluck. Master licence holders go on to issue sublicences to online casinos around the world.
1999
The Gaming Control Board is set up. From March 2020 it is mandated to license and supervise online gaming.
2023
From 15 November, operators can apply for a licence directly with the Gaming Control Board instead of through a master licence holder.
2024
The National Ordinance on Games of Chance takes effect on 24 December. The Gaming Control Board becomes the Curaçao Gaming Authority and sublicensing is banned. Four days earlier, the Dutch Supreme Court upholds a ruling that a master licence holder is liable, alongside its sublicensed casino, for unpaid winnings.
2025
The transition for former sublicensees ends on 15 October, and the first permanent licences are dated 24 December.
2026
The CGA publishes warnings about sites showing fake CGA seals and certificates, including sites that borrow a real licensee's name.
Curaçao licence FAQ
Is a Curaçao gambling licence still worth anything in 2026?
Yes, but it has changed completely. Since the National Ordinance on Games of Chance took effect on 24 December 2024, the Curaçao Gaming Authority licenses each operator directly, requires segregated player funds and certified games, and bans sublicensing. It still does not settle player disputes itself.
How can I check whether a casino really holds a Curaçao licence?
Click the green CGA seal in the casino’s footer; it should open a certificate on cert.cga.cw that names the operator, its licence number and the exact web address you are visiting. Then search the online gaming licences PDF on the CGA’s register page for the licence number and read the status column.
What does a licence number ending in /JAZ mean?
Numbers such as 8048/JAZ or 1668/JAZ refer to the old master licences issued under Curaçao’s previous law, which casinos used through sublicences. The transition for former sublicensees ended on 15 October 2025, so a /JAZ number on its own is not evidence of a current Curaçao licence.
Will the Curaçao Gaming Authority help me if a casino refuses to pay?
Not directly. The CGA says it cannot mediate disputes or order a casino to pay, although you can report the casino to [email protected]. The route to a decision is the casino’s own complaints process and then a free, CGA-certified dispute service, which the CGA expects to finish within 90 days.
What protections must a Curaçao-licensed casino give players?
Player funds must be kept in a segregated account, games must be certified by a CGA-approved testing lab, and the casino must run a written complaints process with free access to a dispute service. It must also check your ID before your first withdrawal and offer deposit limits, cooling-off and self-exclusion of at least one year.
Can I rely on the CGA seal alone?
No. The CGA has warned about sites that copied its seal or showed fake certificates, some using a real licensee’s name. Check that the seal opens cert.cga.cw itself and that your exact web address is listed, then cross-check the register.
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