WILLEMSTAD – The Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA) has shut down its online gambling portal and terminated all agreements associated with the platform, effectively ending its contract with Maltese gambling adviser Mario Galea and his company Random Consulting.
According to the CGA, closing the portal will not affect the validity of existing gambling licenses or the obligations of licensed operators. Regulatory supervision and licensing activities will continue through temporary alternative arrangements.
The decision follows a major security incident involving the portal, which was hacked by a German investigative journalist. The incident resulted in a data breach that exposed confidential information held within the CGA system.
The breach is currently under investigation as the regulator works to strengthen data security and protect the integrity of Curaçao's online gambling sector.
The CGA is developing a new platform to replace the system that has now been taken offline. The regulator also plans to introduce a new mechanism allowing online casinos to demonstrate that they hold an official Curaçao gambling license.
The closure also marks the end of the CGA's contractual relationship with Galea and Random Consulting.
Galea and his company have advised the Curaçao government since 2022 on reforms to the online gambling industry and the introduction of the new National Ordinance on Games of Chance, commonly known as the LOK.
Their role has recently come under increased scrutiny.
Minister of Finance Charles Cooper has ordered an investigation into millions in payments made to Galea's consultancy in connection with its work for the government and the gambling-sector reforms.
The termination of the portal agreements means the CGA will now have to continue its licensing and supervisory activities under temporary arrangements while developing the replacement platform.
Existing license holders, however, remain subject to their regulatory obligations despite the portal being taken offline.