WILLEMSTAD – The Joint Court of Justice for Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and the BES islands has ordered the reopening of the liquidation of four former Curaçao-based companies that once operated the popular online platforms Oranje Casino and Kroon Casino. The decision follows a request from the Dutch Tax Authority, which suspects that tax evasion occurred during the €130 million sale of the two casinos to Swedish gaming giant Betsson AB. 

According to the court, the Dutch Tax Authority has a “legitimate interest” in reopening the liquidation. This allows for a deeper investigation into the financial flows surrounding the 2015 sale of the online gambling brands and whether the companies may still hold hidden assets or outstanding claims. 

Companies Involved 

The court ruling concerns four Curaçao-registered entities: 

Euro Gaming N.V. 

Swissgame N.V. 

Uitgeverij Content N.V. 

Kroon Affiliates N.V. 

These companies, formerly owned by Malone Ltd., Nijlandia Holding N.V., and Mitasco Corporation N.V., were part of a group that marketed Oranje Casino and Kroon Casino. Following the July 2015 acquisition by Betsson AB, the companies were dissolved, and their liquidation was registered with no remaining assets listed in the Curaçao commercial registry. 

However, after a Dutch magazine Quote published details of the alleged €130 million transaction, the Dutch Tax Authority launched an investigation and issued tax assessments in 2016. Since the companies had already been dissolved, those assessments could not be enforced. The tax authority then requested the liquidation be reopened so that an independent liquidator could be appointed to act on behalf of the defunct entities. 

Shareholders’ Appeal Rejected 

The shareholders challenged the earlier decision by the Curaçao Court of First Instance, arguing that the original dissolution was lawful and that the reopening years later was unjustified. They also claimed that the Dutch Tax Authority could have used other legal channels and that a liquidator would not uncover new information. 

But the Joint Court rejected these arguments, citing indications of a substantial sale price that suggest undisclosed assets or financial claims may still exist. The court also emphasized that a court-appointed liquidator has broader investigative powers than the tax authority, including the ability to prevent the statute of limitations from expiring on potential claims. 

Next Steps: Investigation into Casino Sale Structure 

An independent liquidator has now been appointed and tasked with investigating the structure of the 2015 sale, determining whether any money or rights still belong to the dissolved companies, and whether outstanding tax liabilities can be legally enforced. 

Additionally, the ruling resets the timeline for the Dutch Tax Authority’s claims, meaning the clock on filing formal objections only begins once the liquidator is formally notified of the tax assessments. 

The shareholders have also been ordered to pay legal costs amounting to 5,000 Antillean guilders (approximately €2,500). 

This case highlights ongoing scrutiny of offshore gambling operations and the use of Curaçao-based entities in international gaming deals, particularly as authorities across Europe continue to tighten oversight on the sector.