WILLEMSTAD - The practices of five Curaçao companies that sell sublicenses to operate web casinos can indeed be considered illegal. This is evident from two rulings of the Joint Court in the appeal of editor-in-chief Nardy Cramm of the Curaçao news site Knipselkrant against 'master licensee' Cyberluck and trust office Pearl.  

Earlier, the judge in Willemstad had ordered Cramm to post rectifications and ordered not to publish that the 'licenses' sold by Cyberluck and the many thousands of traded 'sublicenses' are illegal, on pain of enormous penalties. Cramm complied with her convictions but did appeal. Today, the Court is sweeping the floor with those previous rulings. 

“The fact that a handful of licensees issue many sub-licenses, with countless game websites worldwide and an enormous turnover, without the license holders being able to properly supervise themselves without any government supervision being possible without the Country of Curaçao earning anything from it, seems difficult to reconcile with any legitimate purpose. Cramm's assertion that the current practice of sublicensing is illegal is plausible," the Court said. 

In the sentences handed down by three judges, Cramm is called a "public whatchdog" who "fights passionately against powerful institutions." It serves a great public interest because the practices of Cyberluck and other master licensees not only cause financial damage to Curaçao but also give the country a bad interregional and international reputation.  

The fact that Cramm – unlike local media – is tackling Cyberluck may attract director Snel-Guttenberg because her company is “walking on thin ice” with the sale of “uncontrollable” sub-licenses. Official reports show that especially international criminal organizations use illegal sublicenses to launder the proceeds of drug, arms, and human trafficking.  

Cramm has been getting lawsuits every now and then since she critically follows the Curaçao gambling mafia. Due to persistent threats, she is keeping her whereabouts secret after a lawyer associated with the Curacao gambling sector posted a photo of her home address on the internet.