THE HAGUE - Dutch Caribbean telecommunications provider United Telecommunication Services (UTS) does not offer online gaming, Curaçao Prime Minister Eugene Rhuggenaath recently stated in answering written questions of Member of the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament Ronald van Raak of the Socialist Party (SP).
“UTS offers no gaming services nor does it allow third parties to do so on its behalf,” Rhuggenaath said. He explained that because UTS, which is a government-owned company, did not offer online gaming, it also was not obliged to request or hold a permit to offer gambling services. Therefore, UTS is not a casino licence holder.
Rhuggenaath clarified that UTS offers telecommunications services to residents and companies.
If UTS were to offer online gambling, it would have to report to the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) Curaçao, as all institutions have to do that offer (offshore) hazard games, operate casinos and run lotteries, Rhuggenaath explained.
Dutch State Secretary of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Raymond Knops sent Rhuggenaath’s letter to the Second Chamber on Tuesday. The latter had asked Knops to forward Van Raak’s written questions about the gaming industry to the Curaçao government. Van Raak has asked several times for clarity on UTS’ alleged role in online gambling.
The Second Chamber’s Permanent Committee for Kingdom Relations requested in December 2018 a letter to clarify whether the Curaçao government’s new approach to online gambling also included the tackling of online gambling from Curaçao in the Netherlands.
Knops considered the Curaçao government’s plans to charge the Gaming Control Board (GCB) with the supervision of all gaming activities, including online gambling, a “positive development,” also in view of better protection of the Dutch consumer and the tackling of illegal gambling services in the Netherlands.
“It is now up to the Curaçao government to provide the intended supervisory entity with the necessary preconditions to bring order to Curaçao’s online gaming sector where necessary,” stated Knops, who noted that the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security would remain in touch with the Curaçao Ministry of Finance.
