Short answer
Curaçao licenses online gambling through the Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA) under the National Ordinance on Games of Chance (LOK), in force since 24 December 2024. Licenses are issued directly to your Curaçao company. A B2C license costs about €4,600 to apply for and about €47,450 a year (license fee plus supervisory fee); a B2B license about €24,500 a year. There is no tax on international GGR. You need a local NV/BV with a resident managing director, an office and a compliance officer/MLRO. Plan 2–5 months.
Curaçao at a glance
- Regulator
- Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA), successor to the Gaming Control Board
- Primary law
- Landsverordening op de Kansspelen (LOK), in force 24 December 2024
- Licenses
- B2C operator · B2B supplier · B2B certificate (non-critical) · provisional license
- Master/sub-licenses
- Abolished; old sub-licenses expired, the transitional "orange seal" ended 15 October 2025
- Term
- Indefinite, subject to annual fees and compliance
- Time to license
- 2–5 months: two CGA review phases of ~8 weeks each, extendable by 4
- Provisional license
- Possible during phase 2 against a remediation plan
Is Curaçao the right license for you?
A good fit when
- You need card acquiring and tier-two payment partners that know Curaçao
- You serve international markets that do not license locally
- You can maintain a real Curaçao office, managing director and compliance officer
Curaçao license types
| License | Who needs it | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| B2C license | Online casino and sportsbook operators | Full player-facing obligations, monthly supervisory fee |
| B2B license | Critical suppliers: platforms, game studios, aggregators | No B2C supervisory fee; same ownership vetting |
| B2B certificate | Non-critical suppliers | Lighter authorization |
| Provisional license | Applicants in phase 2 | Interim authorization against a remediation plan |
Curaçao license costs and tax
| Charge | Amount | When | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application fee | ≈ €4,600 | On filing, non-refundable | XCG 9,000 |
| Annual license fee (B2C) | ≈ €24,500 | Yearly, to the Treasury | XCG 48,000 |
| CGA supervisory fee (B2C) | ≈ €2,050 / month | Monthly | XCG 4,000 |
| Annual cost, B2C | ≈ €47,450 | Yearly | EUR varies with exchange rate |
| Annual cost, B2B | ≈ €24,500 | Yearly | |
| Due diligence | ≈ €130–260 | Per UBO or key person | XCG 250–500 |
| Additional main domain | ≈ €250 | Per domain |
The statutory figures are in Caribbean guilder (XCG, pegged to the US dollar), so euro totals move with the rate — quotes between €47,000 and €49,200 a year all describe the same B2C fee.
Tax
- International GGR
- 0% gaming tax
- Local wagers
- 34.5% on wagers placed in Curaçao (residents are generally barred)
- Profit tax
- 15% up to XCG 500,000 and 22% above; e-Zone structures historically about 2% effective
- Global minimum tax
- 15% only for groups with ≥ €750m consolidated revenue
Legal framework
| Instrument | What it does for you |
|---|---|
| LOK (National Ordinance on Games of Chance) | Licensing, CGA powers, substance |
| CGA AML Regulations (mandatory from 10 April 2025) | AML/CFT for licensees |
| CGA Responsible Gaming Policy (17 April 2025) | Player protection |
| NOIS / NORUT (2017) | AML reporting to FIU Curaçao |
Local substance and eligibility
- Curaçao NV or BV with statutory seat on the island
- Resident managing director (natural person or Curaçao-law corporate director) from grant
- Real office in Curaçao — virtual offices are not accepted
- Independent compliance officer and MLRO, approved as fit and proper
- From 1 April 2027 at least one full-time key person physically in Curaçao (the MD does not count), three by year five
Setting up the licensee: company formation for gambling licenses.
How to get a Curaçao license
- Weeks 1–2
Incorporate and set substance
NV/BV with seat, managing director, office, MLRO and compliance officer; open EU/UK processing and acquirer applications in parallel.
- Weeks 2–4
Policy suite and technical file
LOK policies, AML/CFT, RG, complaints; platform and RNG reports; list every domain.
- Week 4
File on the CGA portal
Submit and pay the application fee; due-diligence charges per person.
- Weeks 4–12
Phase 1 review
Integrity and financial review of directors, shareholders and UBOs, source of funds.
- Weeks 12–20
Phase 2 review
Full compliance review; provisional license possible.
- Grant
License and go-live
Domains verified, geo-blocking tested, supervisory fee begins.
Document checklist
KYC and UBO
- Certified ID, proof of address, police certificate
- CV, banker and professional references
- Source of funds and wealth declaration
Corporate and substance
- Incorporation with seat, articles, registers
- MD engagement, office lease
- Substance plan to April 2027 and year five
AML and player protection
- AML/CFT programme with MLRO
- KYC/CDD with EDD triggers, sanctions and PEP screening
- Virtual-asset policy if crypto
- RG policy, complaints and incident procedures
Technical
- Platform architecture and security
- Accredited RNG and platform audits
- Game and supplier list
- All domains
After the license
Fees
Monthly supervisory fee and annual license fee.
Domains
Register and verify every domain before use.
Geo-blocking
IP and payment-level blocking of the prohibited list.
Substance
Keep the local MD, office, MLRO and key persons in place; meet the 2027 key-person rule.
Reporting
Incidents via the CGA portal; player-complaint reporting.
Ownership
Notify changes of control; keep UBO records current.
Curaçao compared
| Curaçao | Anjouan | Nevis | Malta | Kahnawake | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual gov. cost | ≈ €47,450 B2C · €24,500 B2B | €17,828 | €28,000 | €25,000 + contribution (min €15,000) | US$20,000 (US$35,000 yr 1) |
| Tax on GGR | 0% intl GGR | 0% | 0% foreign GGR | 15% / 10% on Maltese players | 0% |
| Time to license | 2–5 months | 2–4 weeks | 8–12 weeks | 4–6 months | 2–3 months |
| Local substance | Seat, MD, office, MLRO, key persons | None | IBC/LLC, agent, Reporting Officer | MT company, key functions, system audit | MIT hosting |
| Status | Offshore (Kingdom of NL) | Offshore | Offshore | EU regulator | Offshore (Mohawk territory) |
All jurisdictions side by side, with filters: compare gambling license jurisdictions. How we run an application: gambling consulting services.
Curaçao gambling license — FAQs
How much does a Curaçao gambling license cost in 2026?
About €4,600 to apply, then about €47,450 a year for B2C (license fee plus monthly supervisory fee) or about €24,500 a year for B2B. Year one adds due-diligence fees per person. The statutory fees are in Caribbean guilder, so euro figures shift slightly with the rate.
Are Curaçao sub-licenses still valid?
No. The LOK abolished master and sub-licensing. Licenses are issued directly by the CGA in your own company name, and the transitional orange seal ended on 15 October 2025.
How long does a CGA license take?
Plan 2–5 months: two review phases of about eight weeks each, extendable by four. A provisional license can bridge phase 2.
What substance do I need in Curaçao?
An NV or BV with a local seat, a resident managing director, a real office, an MLRO and compliance officer, and from 1 April 2027 at least one full-time key person on the island.
Which countries must be blocked?
The United States, Netherlands, Curaçao, France, Australia, Germany, United Kingdom and FATF high-risk jurisdictions, enforced at IP and payment level.
Curaçao or Anjouan?
Curaçao for broader payment and partner acceptance; Anjouan for a faster, cheaper proof of concept with no local substance.
Sources
Figures were checked against the regulator and legislation listed below on 8 October 2026. Fees, tax rates and restricted-market lists change; confirm with us before you commit capital.
Find out if Curaçao fits before you pay a fee
We screen the ownership chain, check banking and payment fit for your markets, and price the full year-1 cost before anything is filed. Then we incorporate, prepare the dossier and handle the regulator through to go-live.
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