On 15th July, the Curacao Gaming Control Board will reopen their online portal to accept B2C or B2B license applications.
Curacao’s previous window for applications closed on 30 April. This was also the deadline to apply for sublicenses. The initial 31 March deadline was delayed by nearly a month in order to fix issues with the applications.
B2C operators, B2B2C operators, and B2B2B operators can now apply for a licence update, but applications submitted before the previous deadline of 30 April will still be given priority. All current applications must be completed before new requests can be processed.
The GCB stated that the latest window coincided a series of master licenses which expire in August and will not be extended.
Since September 2023 when the GCB established their new licensing process, an updated regulatory framework dubbed National Ordinance for Games of Chance(LOK) is in development.
The GCB has stated that master licences due to expire by January 2025, will expire automatically on the date the new regulations come into effect.
Applications will still be handled under the existing National Ordinance on Offshore Games of Hazard legislation (NOOGH), as the LOK has not yet been passed by the parliament.
Curacao Guidelines for the use of
The GCB published a document of nine pages in March that outlines the application guidelines.
Prior to the launch of the new window, only minor modifications have been implemented. Portal users no longer need an authorization letter.
Cedric Pietersz (GCB’s managing director) spoke about the licensing process at ICE London, in February. “Imagine you hold a sublicense of a master license holder whose licence is expiring on 31 August. If you do not apply and the 31st March comes around, then you are still able to operate on your license.
After 31 August (the date your licence expires), you’ll be illegally operating because you won’t hold a sublicense and the Gaming Control Board will not issue you a license.
Implementation the LOK
Javier Silvania, Curacao’s minister of justice has highlighted on several occasions the possibility of the new regulations working as “safety-net” against gray market operators by legalising gambling operations.
Silvania told Curacao’s parliament that the LOK will help improve Curacao’s reputation, as it was perceived by many to be prone to laundering money.
It is anticipated that the LOK will be in place later this year. At that point, the Curacao Gaming Authority CGA (CGA), which is the regulator for the island of Curacao, will oversee and issue licences.
