Curaçao portal opens for gaming licence registrations
The portal opened on 1 September. While it contained licence application forms and information on how to apply, hopeful applicants were not able to register until today (1 November).
The portal has two main purposes – to process new applications under the current legislation with the GCB and to register all sub-licensees that want to keep operating after the National Ordinance for Games of Chance (LOK) is enacted. After the LOK takes effect, the new Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA) will be established.
From today, applicants can register for an account with the GCB portal for five purposes. These are account management, sub-licence registration, gaming applications, licence management and the ticketing system.
Completed applications can be submitted by verified accounts from 15 November. This gives 15 days for the account to be verified before the application is uploaded.
To be considered a verified account, accounts must be registered in the name of a Curaçao company. They also must use a unique email address attached to that company and have a signed letter of authorisation. The letter must be signed by the Ultimate Beneficial Owner of the company. This is so they are aware the application is being made in their name.
The GCB will then verify this information before the completed application can be submitted.
Successful licence applicants will receive an interim Curaçao licence and be given six months to submit further required documentation.
Part of the transition period
Dr Javier Silvania, Curaçao’s minister of finance, said today is a landmark moment for Curaçao’s gambling market.
“The first of November 2023 will be noted as a momentous day in the history of Curaçao’s position as a gambling jurisdiction,” said Silvania. “This day was the tipping point of a very lengthy process of revolutionising the country’s gambling landscape.”
Aideen Shortt, advisor to the minister of finance, said applicants have been keen to create accounts on the GCB portal site.
“The team has been relentlessly working towards this moment for some time,” she said. “We’ve been like children waiting for Santa Claus and we weren’t disappointed – by 00.01 this morning we already had multiple accounts opened and the traffic is continuously increasing.
“This is already exceeding our highest expectations.”
This is the next stage in Curaçao moving towards implementing the LOK. The jurisdiction is currently in a transition period, with preparations occurring for the new regulatory regime. Once it is in place, the LOK will overhaul Curaçao’s current gambling regulations.
In September, Silvania described the LOK as a “safety net” against grey listing. He highlighted Gibraltar’s presence on the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) grey list and the fact that it is considered a “major gambling hub” factored into the FATF’s decision.
Also in September, Hilary Stewart-Jones joined the GCB as an adviser.