WILLEMSTAD - The MAN-PIN faction has requested that the meeting with the Minister of Finance concerning the National Ordinance on Games of Chance (Landsverordening op de Kansspelen, LOK) be postponed.
According to MAN-PIN, recent developments are extremely serious and are damaging Curaçao’s reputation.
The Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA) has confirmed unauthorized access to its online gaming portal, which is managed in Malta. The unauthorized access reportedly continued for several months, and a forensic investigation is currently underway.
In addition, Minister Cooper has indicated that local and international investigations are being conducted into the situation, including developments within the gaming sector and contracts that have been awarded.
For the MAN-PIN faction, it would not be responsible to proceed with a parliamentary debate while these investigations have not yet been completed and while ministers may therefore be unable to provide full answers to the questions that have arisen.
“Investigate first, establish the truth, and then debate,” the faction stated.
MAN-PIN said it had already warned in 2024 about the risks of placing control over Curaçao’s data, platforms and jurisdiction in the hands of external parties without sufficient checks and balances.
According to the faction, the reported data leak demonstrates that those concerns were not hypothetical.
MAN-PIN believes the government must accept responsibility and, once the investigations have been completed, provide the public with a clear account of what happened and explain what measures will be taken in response.
The faction also believes that the investigation should be followed by amendments to the LOK to strengthen local oversight and introduce what it describes as genuine checks and balances.
MAN-PIN said it will continue to advocate for infrastructure and data connected to Curaçao’s jurisdiction to be brought back to the island, specifically mentioning Curaçao-based Core and BlueNAP.
According to the faction, Parliament and the public must be able to have confidence that Curaçao’s online gaming system ultimately serves the interests of the country.