Most of what is written online about the Curaçao gaming licence describes a system that no longer exists. The cheap sub-licence bought from a master licence holder — for years the default entry point into offshore iGaming — has been retired. This guide describes the regime as it actually works now, in practical terms, and is deliberately general about fees, deadlines and legal specifics because those continue to change.
Not legal advice. This is a general orientation written by a platform provider, not a law firm. The Curaçao framework is still being implemented and regulations continue to evolve. Obtain professional legal advice on your specific structure before applying or committing budget.
What changed: the LOK reform
The National Ordinance on Games of Chance — the LOK — came into force in late 2024 and replaced a licensing structure that had been in place for decades. Under the old system, a small number of master licence holders issued sub-licences to operators, with limited direct regulatory oversight of the sub-licensee. That arrangement is what gave the jurisdiction both its speed and its reputational problem.
Under the LOK, sub-licences are no longer issued and the sub-licence era has ended. Licensing is now a direct relationship between the operator or supplier and the regulator, with the substantive checks applied to the licensee itself rather than delegated up a chain. In practical terms the jurisdiction has moved from a light-touch gateway to a supervised regime that looks structurally much more like other modern frameworks.
Who issues licences now: the CGA
The Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA) issues licences directly. There are two main categories, and you should be clear which one describes your business before you spend anything.
- B2C licence. For operators offering games of chance to players — online casinos and sportsbooks. You hold the player relationship, player funds and the consumer-facing obligations that come with them.
- B2B licence. For suppliers to the industry — platform providers, game studios, aggregators and comparable service providers. You serve operators rather than players.
The distinction matters more than it may look. B2C obligations are dominated by player protection, AML and funds handling; B2B obligations are dominated by technical integrity and the certification of what you supply. Some groups need both, held by different entities.
The application process: two phases
Assessment is split into two phases, each generally expected to take around eight weeks, with provisional licences possible so that a well-prepared applicant is not left idle between stages. The phases are sequential in substance: there is little point presenting technical compliance for a corporate structure that has not cleared integrity review.
Corporate integrity and financial review
Company structure, ultimate beneficial ownership disclosure, source-of-funds and financial standing, fitness and propriety of directors and key persons, and your AML and responsible gaming policy framework. Generally expected to run around eight weeks once the file is complete.
Technical compliance
Platform and game certification including RNG certification, game fairness and reporting integrity, data and player-fund handling, and verification that the policies from phase one are actually implemented in the system you intend to operate. Also generally around eight weeks.
Treat the published phase durations as the regulator's processing time, not your project timeline. In practice the elapsed time is driven by how complete the file is on submission, how quickly you answer follow-up questions, and how long certification and banking take in parallel. Applicants who prepare corporate documents, UBO evidence and policy documentation before opening the process move materially faster than those who assemble them in response to requests.
What is required, in general terms
Compliance obligations
- Enhanced AML and KYC. Documented customer-due-diligence procedures, risk-based enhanced diligence, transaction monitoring, suspicious-activity reporting and a named responsible function — implemented in the platform, not only written in a policy.
- Responsible gaming and player protection. Deposit and loss limits, self-exclusion, reality checks, age verification and clear handling of player complaints and funds.
- UBO disclosure. Full disclosure of ultimate beneficial ownership, with source-of-funds evidence and fitness checks on directors and key persons. Opaque ownership is the most common reason an application stalls.
- Technical certification. RNG and game fairness certification, and integrity of reporting and player data handling.
- Local substance. Local presence and key personnel requirements are being phased in rather than imposed uniformly from day one. Budget and plan for them.
Costs and deadlines
We state these generally on purpose. Application fees are a significant one-off cost and annual licence fees run in the tens of thousands of euros, on top of certification, legal fees, audit, local substance and the working capital any launch needs. Transitional deadlines for operators moving from the old system have been set and revised. Because both the amounts and the dates continue to move, verify them with a licensed adviser at the moment you apply rather than trusting any figure you read in a guide.
What this means for a new operator
The practical consequence of the reform is that the two routes into the market have moved further apart. Direct licensing is now a genuine regulatory project; launching through a white-label partnership is now the fast route rather than one fast route among several.
Applying for your own licence
- You own the regulated relationship, the licence and the enterprise value.
- You carry AML, responsible gaming and reporting responsibility directly.
- You need compliance and finance capability, or the budget to hire it.
- Your timeline is set by the regulator, certification and banking — months, not weeks.
Launching through a white-label partnership
- You operate your brand under the licence holder's authorisation and infrastructure.
- Compliance and payment operations are largely provided, within set policies.
- You do not hold the licence, so you depend on the holder's standing and decisions.
- Portability is only as strong as the data and migration rights in your contract.
The white-label versus turnkey comparison works through that decision in detail, including the case for starting on one route and moving to the other once cohorts pay back.
Where Casino Platform fits
Our Curaçao white-label route is active, which means an operator can launch a branded casino on our infrastructure and licensing arrangements in as little as 21 days rather than waiting out a direct application. The Anjouan licensing route is also active and the Malta MGA route is available, so the licensing conversation can follow your target markets rather than the other way round.
On the platform itself: 50+ operator brands run across regulated and emerging markets, 75+ payment methods are available via integrated PSPs, integrated game content is RNG-certified at studio level under GLI-19 and by iTech Labs, and the infrastructure is SSL secured. Responsible gaming tooling — limits, self-exclusion and reality checks — ships in every deployment, which is the part of the new regime most first-time applicants underestimate.
If your plan genuinely requires you to hold the licence yourself, we will say so, and the same platform supports that route. Pricing sets out the commercial models operators choose between, the gambling licence page covers the routes in more detail, and the complete guide to starting an online casino puts licensing in the context of content, payments and marketing.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still buy a Curaçao sub-license?
No. Under the National Ordinance on Games of Chance (LOK), which came into force in late 2024, the old master-licence and sub-licence system has ended and sub-licences are no longer issued. Licences are now granted directly by the Curaçao Gaming Authority. Any offer of a new Curaçao sub-licence today should be treated with considerable caution and reviewed by a gaming lawyer.
What licence categories does the CGA issue?
Two main categories. A B2C licence covers operators offering games of chance to players — online casinos and sportsbooks. A B2B licence covers suppliers: platform providers, game studios, aggregators and comparable service providers. Which one you need depends on whether you hold the player relationship or serve operators.
How long does the application take?
The assessment runs in two phases — corporate integrity and financial review, then technical compliance including RNG certification — and each phase is generally expected to take around eight weeks, subject to the completeness of your file. Provisional licences are possible in the interim. Real timelines depend heavily on how well prepared the documentation is when it is submitted.
How much does a Curaçao licence cost?
We deliberately do not publish exact figures, because they are set by regulation and have been revised. In general terms, application fees are a substantial one-off cost and annual fees run in the tens of thousands of euros, before the cost of certification, legal work, local presence and audit. Confirm current amounts with a licensed adviser rather than relying on any published guide, including this one.
Do I need staff or an office in Curaçao?
Local substance requirements — local presence and key personnel based in the jurisdiction — are being phased in under the new regime rather than applied identically to everyone from day one. Plan on the assumption that meaningful local substance will be expected, and take specific advice on what applies to your structure and timing.
Is a white-label launch an alternative to applying myself?
It is a different route with different trade-offs, not a shortcut around regulation. Launching through a platform provider's Curaçao white-label arrangement means operating your brand under the licence holder's authorisation, which is much faster and lighter on compliance headcount, but you do not hold the licence. Applying directly is slower and more demanding, and gives you ownership of the regulated relationship.
Talk the route through before you commit budget
Bring your target markets and timeline to a live demo and we will map the Curaçao, Anjouan and Malta routes against them, including the cases where waiting for your own licence is the better decision. Or contact us with the specifics first.
Book a live demo with our team →
