WILLEMSTAD – The Common Court of Justice has ruled that responsibility for decisions and disclosure surrounding online gambling licenses on Curaçao lies with the government and the responsible minister — not with the Governor.
The ruling provides important legal clarification regarding accountability within Curaçao’s controversial online gambling sector, which has faced years of international scrutiny over transparency, licensing, and supervision.
The case was brought by journalist and researcher Nardy Cramm under Curaçao’s National Ordinance on Public Access to Government Information (Lob). Cramm had requested documents related to online gaming licenses, permits, mandates, and oversight of the gambling industry.
After receiving no response, she initiated legal proceedings and argued that the Governor was responsible for the decision-making process.
The Court rejected that argument.
According to the judges, powers under the former National Ordinance on Offshore Games of Hazard (Landsverordening buitengaatse hazardspelen) must legally be viewed as powers of the government itself. The Court ruled that gambling licenses must be granted through national decrees signed by both the Governor and the responsible minister, while political responsibility remains with ministers.
The Court also ruled that requests for information regarding the gambling sector should be directed to the minister responsible for gaming legislation rather than to the Governor.
The judgment confirms an earlier ruling by the Court of First Instance, which had declared itself not competent in the case against the Governor.
The ruling comes during a period of major reform within Curaçao’s online gambling industry.
In December 2024, Curaçao formally introduced the new National Ordinance on Games of Chance (LOK), replacing the older licensing framework and introducing a more centralized regulatory structure under the Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA).
Under the new system, the longstanding “master license” model — which allowed private master license holders to issue large numbers of sublicenses with limited oversight — has been abolished. Licenses are now issued directly by the regulator.
The reforms were introduced partly in response to international criticism over weak oversight, money laundering concerns, and the use of Curaçao licenses by offshore gambling operators targeting prohibited markets.
The Curaçao Gaming Authority states that the new framework is intended to improve transparency, strengthen anti-money laundering controls, and increase the credibility of the island’s gaming sector internationally.