The Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA), responsible for regulating the gambling industry, is launching a new licensing portal following a recent data breach that exposed sensitive information of its license holders. The breach, announced on September 17, revealed that unauthorized access occurred in the previous month, with investigators determining that individuals from Germany accessed the authority’s confidential licensing details.
In response to the breach, the CGA has decided to discontinue the use of its current portal and suspend the regulatory services provided by its former vendor. A temporary portal is scheduled to be operational by October 19, contingent upon the completion of necessary pre-launch testing. This new system is intended to enable the continuation of licensing and oversight functions.
The CGA indicated that certain components of the portal require additional refinement and security assessment before launch. Specifically, the internal system, digital seal, and license registry must undergo thorough external security evaluations. Updates are currently being applied to the customer portal in preparation for this vital testing phase.
Despite shutting down the former portal, the CGA reassured that existing licenses remain valid, and licensed entities must continue to fulfill their regulatory obligations. To combat the illegal use and distribution of the compromised data, the CGA has reported the breach to relevant local authorities in Curaçao, as well as in Germany and the Netherlands. The authority has filed formal complaints and engaged specialists to assist in removing any affected content from the Internet.
An independent forensic investigation is underway to assess the extent of the breach and determine necessary remediation steps. The CGA is also considering potential legal actions stemming from this incident, which coincides with ongoing efforts to enhance the online gambling licensing and supervision framework in Curaçao.
