WILLEMSTAD – Protecting gamblers, combating criminal activity and preventing gambling addiction are among the central objectives of Curaçao’s new gambling legislation, according to the Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA), which has provided a detailed explanation of the principles behind the regulatory system introduced under the Landsverordening op de Kansspelen (LOK).
The law, which entered into force in December 2024, represents a significant overhaul of how gambling offered in and from Curaçao is regulated.
According to the CGA, one of the law’s objectives is to ensure a healthy and properly regulated gambling offering while preventing and combating criminal activities connected to the industry.
Player protection is another central element. The legislation seeks to guarantee fair gambling and ensure that participants are treated openly and fairly by operators.
The law also aims to prevent and combat gambling addiction while providing additional protection for vulnerable people, including minors.
Another objective is safeguarding the integrity of gambling operators themselves. This gives the CGA a mandate to examine whether companies operating under Curaçao licenses meet applicable integrity and compliance requirements.
The reforms also have an international dimension. According to the regulator, the LOK is intended to protect Curaçao’s international reputation, particularly in relation to the gambling industry.
Under the previous system, online gambling was regulated through the Landsverordening Buitengaatse Hazardspelen. The LOK has placed greater emphasis on direct regulatory supervision of remote gambling and centralized oversight with the CGA.
The authority now has the power to assess online gaming license applications and grant, amend, suspend or revoke licenses. It is also responsible for monitoring compliance and enforcing the legislation when operators fail to follow the rules.
The CGA itself operates as an independent public administrative body. The authority emerged from the organization that previously supervised the gambling market, but its regulatory position and responsibilities are now established under the LOK.
The CGA emphasized that the legislation was created through Curaçao’s democratic legislative process and that the regulator’s role is not to determine gambling policy independently, but to execute the law adopted through that process.
That distinction means the CGA must apply the rules consistently while remaining within the powers granted to it by legislation.
The regulator’s explanation is part of an effort to provide greater clarity about the new gambling regime, including what the CGA is responsible for and how Curaçao intends to supervise an industry that serves both the domestic and international markets.