WILLEMSTAD – The Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA) has outlined its role as the independent regulator responsible for enforcing Curaçao’s new gambling legislation, emphasizing that its task is to implement the law, supervise operators and take enforcement action when rules are violated.
The explanation is part of an informational series by the CGA about the Landsverordening op de Kansspelen (LOK), Curaçao’s gambling law that came into force in December 2024.
According to the CGA, the legislation established the authority as an independent public administrative body, known in Dutch as a Zelfstandig Bestuursorgaan (ZBO). Its responsibilities and powers are defined by law.
The CGA stressed the distinction between making laws and enforcing them. Legislation begins with a process involving the government or Parliament and includes consultation and review involving relevant sectors and advisory bodies, including the Council of Advice and the Social Economic Council (SER), before ultimately being considered and approved by Parliament.
Once legislation is in force, the CGA’s responsibility is to execute it and consistently apply its rules within the gambling sector.
Under the LOK, the regulator evaluates license applications, monitors whether license holders comply with the law, conducts integrity oversight of operators and can intervene when violations or malpractice are identified.
The new legislation has placed particular emphasis on remote gambling, or online gaming, which previously operated under the Landsverordening Buitengaatse Hazardspelen (LBH).
With the introduction of the LOK, the CGA became the independent regulator for online gambling and received powers that include granting, amending, suspending and revoking licenses.
The authority also has responsibilities involving other forms of gambling on Curaçao. The LOK introduced a notification requirement for certain non-profit gambling activities, including raffles and bingo. The CGA additionally supervises local casinos and local lotteries within the applicable legal frameworks and under the authority assigned to the Minister of Finance.
The regulator noted that different types of gambling are governed by their respective legal provisions, which determine what is permitted and the extent of the CGA’s powers.
The CGA’s explanation comes as Curaçao continues implementing its substantially revised regulatory system for an online gambling industry that has operated internationally from the island for decades.