Gambling Regulation

Curacao is a Caribbean Island situated off the coast of Venezuela, formerly known as the ‘Netherlands Antilles’. It is still a Dutch territory and, as such, falls under the European Union, despite being far from the European mainland. The ‘Curacao e-Gaming Licensing Authority’ was established in 1996 and began issuing licences to online casinos as early as 1998. In the past two decades, the regulator has issued over 500 permits to respective operators.

Licensing

License requisition is a thorough affair, though nowhere near as stringent as the process implemented by regulatory boards founded in the rest of Europe.

The primary criteria for being able to apply for a gaming licence is affordability. The regulator shows great concern for the need for an operator to be able to sustain their business. Once an applicant can prove the strength of their company in financial terms, they will be forwarded the necessary application forms. This pre-approval usually takes 24 hours and costs $1,500.

Further Stages in the application process include:

• Submission of IP Application with supporting documents and a yearly fee of $4,800.
• On completion of the application process, the company may now begin their operations within 60 days, after which the Commission will keep close tabs on violations of specific service terms. One such term is that operators may not offer their services to residents of Curacao.

Taxation

Gambling companies may register as Ezone Company to maximise the benefits of their casino business. Here, operators can enjoy a very favourable tax rate of a mere 2%. This rate is guaranteed to remain the same until at least 31 December 2025.

Benefits for Operators

Curacao is a popular destination for remote gambling operators to set up shop. There are various reasons why a Curacao eGaming Licence is so popular:

Status: Casinos without licensing affiliation are branded as ‘rogues’ and find it difficult to win over veteran casino goers because of the risks involved. Carrying a jurisdictional licence opens up far more markets and players to the casino brand. Curacao has long been recognised as one of the preferred locations for eGaming businesses to base their operations.

Tax Breaks: As discussed earlier, the low tax rate on the island is a big motivator for casinos to register their businesses there.

Simplified Licensing Processes: Obtaining the licence is not a difficult affair, which is a real drawcard for casino owners looking to set up shop without too much red tape.

White Label Licensing: One can apply to become a white label distributor with minimal fuss, though the licence cost is a bit higher than a normal operator’s permit.

Benefits for Players

Recourse: Players have more peace of mind playing at regulated and licensed casinos, as they know that there is some form of recourse, should a casino act unethically or fraudulently.

Leniency: Many of the casinos registered by the Curacao Commission reach out to gaming countries and jurisdictions that some of the other casinos overlook. This ensures that everyone is offered a fair chance at quality online casino gambling.

Game Spread: Curacao licensed casinos offer a great variety of gambling platforms, including top industry names, such as Microgaming, Playtech, Pragmatic Play, NetEnt, Evolution Gaming and more.

Responsible Gambling: Top casinos are player-aware and are forced to implement protocols to prevent minors from playing on their sites.

Top Curacao Online Casinos

You might not be aware, but some of the top online casino brands that you may have heard of are carrying Curacao eGaming licences. Some of these top brands include:

BitStarz Casino: This casino is top-rated and operates since 2014. It offers both fiat and cryptocurrencies and has more than 2000 casino games in its portfolio. Read the full review of BitStarz casino to learn more.

Casino Friday: Casino Friday is a relatively new contender to the market, which has got off to a flying start in the casino world. Its mission is to make you have fun by providing top content from the best game providers in the business.

Bitcoin casino: A part of the market since 2019, this casino is where you want to take a risk and gamble with crypto. This multi-currency online casino offers more than 5000 games and a gamified environment - surely there is something for everyone.

TrueFlip.io: With over 1000 top games, TrueFlip.io proves that they have the stomach to take on the market and strive for the top. With powerhouses, such as NetEnt, Microgaming, and Playtech headlining your content provision, you can only be satisfied by this operator.

Frank Casino: Operated by Avento MT Limited, Frank casino provides over 2,000 gaming titles from more than 40 gaming studios. They have a fabulous reputation as a top casino operator in both Sweden and Malta.

CasinoWow Round-Up

Though not as stringent in their regulatory practices as benchmark licensers like the UK Gambling Commission and Malta Gaming Authority, the Curacao eGaming Commission still boasts some of the best casino operators in the world. It just goes to show that not every business needs a thorough watchdog in order to shine.

Casinos looking to start off a strong career in the industry might find the Curacao eGaming licence the perfect partner for their growth.