WILLEMSTAD - The entire Board of Commissioners of the Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA) resigned in mid-September, leaving the island’s gambling regulator without formal oversight for the time being. The development comes amid growing political tension within the government and reports that Prime Minister Gilmar Pisas has effectively taken control of the authority, which officially still falls under the responsibility of Finance Minister Javier Silvania (MFK).

Shortly after the commissioners’ resignation, Pisas personally met with the CGA’s management to discuss matters related to the “gambling sector.” Minister Silvania was notably absent from the meeting, though government advisor Caryl Monte was present — a sign that the prime minister may have assumed direct responsibility for gaming supervision.

The shift in authority comes at a politically delicate time for Silvania, who has faced mounting pressure within his MFK party following his public clash with senior civil servant Alfonso Trona, as well as accusations of power abuse and corruption.

Pisas has now taken charge of what is often described as “the government’s cash cow” — the lucrative gaming industry, which contributes an estimated 40 million guilders annually to Curaçao’s public finances.

When the CGA was officially launched in July as the successor to the Gaming Control Board (GCB), the new regulator was placed under the Ministry of Finance. However, it now appears that the authority is operating directly under the Prime Minister’s Office.

Adding to the confusion, the CGA is not yet listed in the Chamber of Commerce’s commercial register, despite publicly presenting itself as a foundation. On its website, the CGA identifies itself as the official regulator of the gaming industry “on behalf of the Minister of Finance,” but in practice, all communication reportedly now goes through the Office of the Prime Minister.

With the resignation of commissioners Shelwyn Salesia, Robert Reijnaert, and Ildefons Simon, the CGA is currently without a supervisory board. The government has not yet announced any replacements.

The resignation of the board and the recent power shift within the government have cast doubt on the future of regulatory reforms that Minister Silvania had previously announced to tighten control over the online gambling sector — reforms now uncertain under the new administrative structure.