Curaçao to extend some provisional online gambling licences
Provisional igaming licences were due to expire today.
Curaçao- The Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA) has granted a six-month extension to provisional licences for select operators, allowing Green Seal B2C and B2B licence holders to continue operations until December 24. The extension is intended to allow more time for processing the large quantity of new applications under the Dutch Caribbean territory’s revised licensing regime.
This move comes despite the enactment of Curaçao’s new licensing framework, which ends the continued use of permissions issued under the former regulatory system. Provisional licences were initially granted for six months under the National Ordinance for Games of Chance (LOK) and were to due to expire today (June 24). Eligible operators will receive their updated authorisations by June 27, enabling them to maintain services during the regulatory transition.
According to the CGA, the extension is intended to provide licence holders with adequate time to meet new compliance obligations. It said that operators who had shown substantial progress against checklists during the initial six-month period may qualify either for an additional extension or the issuance of a full licence.
The revised regulatory structure imposes more stringent requirements on operators and suppliers, including the implementation of dispute resolution mechanisms for player complaints and improvements to anti-money laundering protocols.
Compounding administrative hurdles were allegations of malpractice in the licensing process. Opposition party member Luigi Faneyte accused the CGA of issuing licences without legal grounds, alleging fraud and money laundering, and filed a formal complaint with the attorney general in November. The CGA, however, categorically denied the charges, describing its procedures as thorough and consistent with regulatory expectations.
