WILLEMSTAD – One of the companies exposed in the massive leak of Curaçao gambling records is facing legal pressure in the Netherlands, where regulators imposed a fine of nearly €25 million and the state-owned lottery operator subsequently launched a lawsuit over alleged unfair competition.
The company is Novatech Solutions NV, the Curaçao-based entity behind online casino Qbet.com.
According to Follow the Money’s “Casino Secrets” investigation, confidential Curaçao Gaming Authority documents identify Manila-based technology manager Joanna Tinaco Arenas as the ultimate beneficial owner of Novatech Solutions NV.
FTM reports that Arenas, 42, was also listed in 2024 as a manager of Novatech (Pasay) Solutions, a company near Manila that provides support services to gambling businesses.
The revelation is significant because Qbet had become a major target of Dutch gambling regulators.
According to FTM, Qbet was until last year one of the largest illegal gambling websites operating in the Netherlands and generated tens of millions of euros in profits, according to the Dutch regulator.
In March, the Dutch Gambling Authority imposed a record fine of nearly €25 million on Novatech Solutions NV for illegally operating in the Dutch market.
Novatech has appealed the penalty.
Neither Novatech nor Qbet responded to questions submitted by Follow the Money, according to the investigation.
The regulatory action has now been accompanied by private litigation.
In April, Nederlandse Loterij, the Dutch state-owned lottery operator, sued Qbet in an effort to hold gambling operators, trust offices, letterbox companies and their directors responsible for what it considers unfair competition.
The case highlights an increasingly important issue for Curaçao.
Although a company may possess a Curaçao gambling license, that license does not automatically authorize it to offer gambling services in other jurisdictions. Operators generally must comply with the laws and licensing requirements of the countries in which they accept or actively target customers.
FTM reports that Curaçao-licensed websites continue to be fined or blacklisted abroad for operating in markets where they do not have authorization.
The Curaçao Gaming Authority acknowledged to FTM that operators serving countries without permission are a matter of concern, although the regulator said determining whether a company actively targets a foreign market or merely accepts customers from that jurisdiction can be complex.
The Qbet case therefore illustrates one of the international challenges facing Curaçao’s new gambling regime.
The island has replaced its former sublicense system with direct government supervision, but foreign regulators are continuing to take action against some companies operating through Curaçao entities.
For Curaçao, the consequences extend beyond individual fines. Foreign enforcement actions against Curaçao-licensed operators can affect the international reputation of the island’s regulatory system and raise questions about how much responsibility the CGA should assume when license holders operate abroad.
Source: Follow the Money, Casino Secrets investigation by David Davidson, Sjors Hofstede and Lukas Kotkamp, with reporting in Curaçao by Dick Drayer.