WILLEMSTAD – The Curaçao Online Gaming Association (COGA) says that regulatory supervision of the online gaming sector remains the responsibility of the Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA) and was not transferred to Maltese company Random Consulting Limited. The sector organization made the statement amid the ongoing public debate over a contract reportedly worth ANG 8.3 million per year.
George Bergmann, former director of Emoore and currently involved with COGA until a new board is elected, said that based on his experience, the CGA is responsible for carrying out the official supervisory tasks. He stressed the difference between the legal responsibilities of the regulator and the services provided by external suppliers.
The clarification comes after Random Consulting previously stated that it was involved in areas such as licensing, compliance, supervision and enforcement support. This raised questions about where the company’s technical and organizational assistance ended and where the formal responsibilities of the government regulator began.
According to Bergmann, the current Supervisory Board and Management Board of the CGA were not involved in establishing the agreement with Random Consulting. He did not disclose which individuals or institutions prepared, approved or signed the contract.
COGA also did not provide details about the exact services delivered by the Maltese company or what results were achieved in exchange for the reported payment. The organization said it hopes that clarity will soon be provided regarding agreements with external suppliers.
The association did not release the contract, invoices, mandate decisions or a detailed overview showing which activities were performed by the CGA and which were carried out by Random Consulting.
The organization emphasized that the implementation of the Landsverordening op de Kansspelen (LOK), the new gaming legislation, continues without interruption. According to COGA, license applications continue to be processed and licensed operators remain subject to requirements related to compliance, anti-money laundering and combating terrorist financing, consumer protection and responsible gaming.
COGA said there is no reason to believe that the current discussion will disrupt or delay the licensing system. The organization maintains that the CGA is functioning properly and is acting as a strict regulator.
Bergmann acknowledged that the reform of the online gaming sector was completed in approximately a year and a half and required significant efforts from both the CGA and licensed operators. While the sector has not agreed with every change, he described this as a normal part of regulatory reform.