WILLEMSTAD - The Curaçao Gaming Control Board (GCB) is reopening the online portal for B2C and B2B license applications today. The GCB announced this following the closure of the previous application window on April 30. The deadline for sub-licenses had been extended by nearly a month, from March 31 to April 30, to resolve issues with the applications.
Operators in the B2C, B2B2C, and B2B sectors can now apply for an updated license. However, applications submitted before the April 30 deadline will be prioritized. New applications will be processed only after all current applications have been completed.
The reopening of the portal coincides with the expiration of a series of master licenses in August, which will not be renewed. Since September 2023, the GCB has been working on a new regulatory framework, the National Ordinance on Gambling (LOK). Master licenses expiring in January 2025 will automatically lapse on the day the new regulations come into force.
Although the LOK still needs parliamentary approval, applications will be processed under the current National Ordinance on Offshore Hazard Games (NOOGH) in the interim. The government of Curaçao believes this is legally feasible.
In March, the GCB published a nine-page document with guidelines for applications. Only minor changes have been made for the new application window, including the removal of the mandatory authorization letter for portal users.
At the ICE London conference in February, Cedric Pietersz, director of the GCB, emphasized the importance of timely application: “If you have a sub-license from a master license holder expiring on August 31, you can continue to operate until that date. After August 31, you will be operating illegally without a sub-license or GCB license.”
Minister of Justice Javier Silvania has repeatedly highlighted the potential of the new regulations as a “safety net” against gray market operators by legitimizing gambling operations. Silvania also told parliament that the LOK would help improve the jurisdiction's reputation, which some saw as susceptible to money laundering.
