The Curaçao Casino License – All You Need to Know and The Best Curaçao Casinos 2024
A new era of Curaçao Casinos is finally here! After November 2023, you can enjoy unlimited bonuses, modern payment methods and unrestricted gameplay, without the old safety concerns. In this guide we take a closer look at Curaçao’s reformed gaming law and we also talk about the tax question for EU players. Continue reading for all you need to know about casinos with Curaçao license!
List of The Best Curacao Casinos November 2024
Table of Contents
The internet contains thousands of Curacao Casinos, but not all of them are good choices, especially not for EU players. All the casinos we list here are completely safe to play on, and has been personally tested by us with real money to make sure payments work smoothly.
Before we list any new casino we also verify that the casino has a valid license. Other things, such as the game selection and promotions, will determine just how high up the site get in our ranking of the best Curacao casinos for 2024.
We don’t just do an initial test; every week we check the sites to make sure that everything is in order and that the bonus info is up to date. So make sure to stay for a while and check back regularly!
Why Players Choose Casino with Curaçao License
From players’ point of view, these are the benefits of Curaçao online casinos:
- Unlimited deposit bonuses
- Attractive loyalty programs
- Cashback and VIP-programs
- Fun competitions and tournaments
- Autoplay and turboplay for slots
- Bigger selection of live casino
- Many popular payment methods
- Euro deposits and withdrawals
- Cryptocurrencies also accepted
- Less limitations and restrictions
- Tax-free winnings possible
This is Curaçao – from Dutch Colony to Becoming a Casino Haven
Curaçao (often misspelled Curacao) is an island located in the Caribbean Sea, 65 kilometres from the Northern coast of Venezuela. It is the biggest island in the so-called ABC islands ( Aruba and Bonaire are the other two).
All three islands were part of the Netherlands Antilles, together with ½ half of Saint Martin (the other half belongs to France), Saba and Sint Estatius. When this Dutch colonizer country was dissolved in 2010, the Curaçaoans could celebrate becoming an autonomous country.
The country of Curaçao is still tied to Netherlands in some ways, and Dutch is an official language, together with Papiamento and English. However, unlike the French Caribbean islands, Curaçao is not a part of the EU and the island has their own currency (Netherlands Antillean guilder).
Like many other island nations around the world with limited natural resources, Curaçao decided to put their money on the online casino industry. The Government of Curaçao has been handling out remote gambling licenses since 1996, when the National Ordinance on Offthore Games of Hazard (NOOGH) went live. Today, there is estimated to be way over 1000 casinos with Curacao license, making it both one of the oldest and biggest license providers.
Curaçao Gaming Control Board – Big Changes Ahead
Curaçao’s gaming authority, The Curaçao Gaming Control Board, was founded in 1999 just before the new millennium. The GCB is in charge of licenses and supervision for both online and offline gambling activities.
Previously, the board had quite a passive role, and outsourced the licensing and compliance part to four master license holders. These privately-owned companies then offered sublicenses to online casinos. Some of the master licenses only did the absolute minimum required (if even that), while others went the extra mile. This is why historically, the quality of two Curaçao casinos has varied so much.
The government of Curaçao is well aware of this problem and has decided to fully restructure their license system. It is now time for GCB to take a more actively role, so that the island will fulfil its goal to become a respectable license provider that follows international best practice.
Starting November 2023, both B2B and B2C license applications goes straight to The Curacao Gaming Control Board. There will be a 12-month transition period for current license holders to ensure it goes smoothly and to minimize disruptions.
The board has also promised to start handling player complaints in 2024. Then all players will be treated equally and will get the same security net. Meanwhile, please check out how to contact the four master license holders if you have a complaint.
GCB Contact Information
The New Curaçao Casino License System 2023 – 2024
Why did the Government of Curaçao decided to completely revamp their license model? Curaçao’s finance minister, Javier Fransisco Antonio Silvania, has been one of the main figures in the re-regulation. In an interview with iGB he shared that money was a big motivator.
Online casinos are a multimillion industry, but until now, very little money went to the island because of the master license – sub license setup. It was the master licenses that pocketed the money, Silvania explains.
He further commented that unserious operators with no respect for players or global anti-money laundering laws won’t be missed. Recently, we have seen other iGaming hubs such as Gibraltar ending up on the FATF Anti-Money Laundering greylist due to inadequate AML-policies, so it is good Curaçao is being proactive.
We think that the Dutch government breathing down the neck probably sped things up considerably, too. During the COVID-pandemic, Netherlands gave Curaçao a big support package, but only if they promised they will fix their license asap.
Curaçao’s New Gaming Law in a Nutshell
The new bill, Landsverordening op de kansspelen (LOK), is expected to go into effect sometimes in 2024. Here is a TLDR of the most important changes:
- Unified supervision The Curaçao Gaming Control Board will have the responsibility of checking that all casinos are behaving properly. This eliminates the previous issue, where the four different master licenses had very different requirements which resulted in big quality variations. Now it is also clear who has the authority to suspend a license.
- License fees A big reason for the re-regulation was that the government of Curaçao wanted to receive a bigger slice of the cake. Previously, all the licensing fees went to the privately-owned four master licenses instead of the government. The new system includes a one-time application fee (~4000€), a yearly license fee (~12000€) and a monthly regulatory fee (~250€ per url), which will go towards the island’s economy.
- Physical presence The new law requires companies to have at least 3 key personnel based in Curaçao (director, manager, compliance officers etcetera). With this new rule, the government hope the island will benefit as a whole. They want to avoid being seen as an jurisdiction that just gives out licenses from a cereal box.
- Responsible gaming Self exclusion is a service that has been offered for land-based Curaçao casinos since 2012, where you can restrict your access for 18+ months. Currently there is no information if GCB will introduce a national self-exclusion register for online gambling, but we can expect improved responsible gaming policies none the less.
More Information from Curacao’s Ministry of Finance
Slotsoo has established a close contact with Curacao’s Ministry of Finance in order to be able to give you the latest updates as soon as possible. Here we share the new information from the government:
The Four Master Licenses of Curaçao
Here, we give you an introduction to the four master license holders (Curaçao eGaming, Antillephone NV, Gaming Curaçao and Curaçao Interactive Licensing), and inform how to get in touch with them. We have decided to keep this information live even after the unified Curaçao license, to help players with ongoing disputes.
Curaçao eGaming (1668/JAZ)
Curaçao eGaming is regarded as the most serious one of the four master licenses, and they offer a website with a dispute form, a license register for authentication purposes, and even a self-exclusion service (6 months minimum).
Because of this, Curaçao eGaming is often mistaken as the actual gaming authority. Even other Curaçao Casinos are sometimes linking to Curaçao eGaming in their terms and conditions. But the website’s services are only for at a Curaçao eGaming licensed casinos such as Pribet.
Antillephone NV (8048/JAZ)
The second Curaçao master license Antillephone is not too shabby either. You can find this logo in the footer of many of our recommended casinos. Even Svenbet, the winner of the main award in Slotsoo Casino Awards 2023, holds an Antillephone NV license. We can also vet for Rollino and Snatch Casino.
This master license has an orange logo. For disputes, you can contact Antillephone via email on complaints@gaminglicences.com (please include proof that you have been in touch with the casino’s customer support).
Gaming Curaçao (365/JAZ)
Gaming Curaçao is another popular choice for casinos targeting EU players. Slot Paradise and Qbet are two of our award-winning recommendations. Both are safe and offers good bonus programs.
Unfortunately, the Gaming Curaçao master license is not very informative when it comes to help with complaints. Their website is targeting B2B customers only, and not us regular players. The site offer a contact form, but we would advise you to send them an email instead to the address info@gaming-curacao.com.
Curaçao Interactive Licensing (5536/JAZ)
Last, and definitely least, we have Curaçao Interactive Licensing (CIL). We haven’t found a single Curaçao casino with this license that meets our quality requirements. CIL is a very mysterious master license and it’s hard to find information about them online. After some digging, we did find the email helpdesk@Curaçaolicensing.com.
Curacao Casinos – a Continuous Headache for Europe
The local gaming authorities in countries such as Germany, Sweden, Netherlands and Spain share a common enemy: Curacao Casinos. They like to paint Curacao as the evil that reap the money from gullible Europeans, without having to pay any of the costs gambling problems causes the society.
Whether you want to call it karma or not for these countries’ historic activities in the Caribbean, the fact remains that Curacao continues to be an attractive choice for EU players. It’s hard for the local licenses to compete with the unlimited bonuses and unrestricted play that the Curacao license offers.
At Slotsoo, we believe in individual freedom and adults having the right to decide for themselves. Our goal is to give you the building blocks to make an informed decision, while encouraging you to play in a responsible manner. Gambling should only be seen as a fun hobby, and never as a way to earn or try to win back money. There is help available if you want to stop.
Enjoy Unlimited Bonuses on Curaçao Casinos
The bonuses on Curaçao casinos are very advantageous, and there are so many different to choose between. This is thanks to the very relaxed rules when it comes to bonuses and such. There are no real restrictions, so you can easily enjoy all form of bonuses, including loyalty programs and other VIP rewards.
Everything is up to the casino in question, and they themselves get to choose how they wanna distribute the rewards and to which players. At Curaçao casinos you’ll find everything from 200% match bonuses to Daily Cashback Bonuses, free spins, wager free bonuses, competitions, tournaments and so much more.
Something you definitely need to know is that not every Curaçao bonus is worth playing. Many of them have weird rules and conditions, high wagering requirements or a combination of these. Some casinos have even gone as far as putting a ceiling on how much money you can withdraw when playing with a bonus, sometimes as low as 5-10 times the deposited amount.
You should also note that Curaçao currently has no marketing standards, that dictate what’s allowed when advertising bonuses. This is why you can see casinos boasting with 500% bonuses on the home page, but when you actually check the promotions section it will tell that it’s just 5×100% bonuses. That’s not how percentages work!
Slotsoo values honesty and transparency. We will not lie about the match percentage or the size of the bonus offer in our lists. The bonus you see is the bonus you will get during your first deposit. We recommend you to check out our guide to the Best Casino Bonuses 2023 If you are looking for truly good welcome offers.
Games and Providers Available on Curaçao Casinos
Something that definitely is very positive when it comes to the Curaçao license is the diverse selection of games. On Curaçao casinos we find basically all the large and popular game providers such as NetEnt, Evolution, Microgaming, Yggdrasil and many more.
You can easily enjoy thousands of games when playing on a Casino with a Curaçao license. Some sites offer over 4000 games from 100+ providers. There are games that fit every type of player: jackpot and megaways slots, slingo, live dealer table games, live game shows, sports betting – you name it!
And the best of all when it comes to slots is that Curaçao Casinos allow autoplay and turboplay. Good news for those of you who enjoy playing in a quick pace. There is no need to wait 3 seconds or more after every round.
Curacao Casino Deposit and Withdrawals 2024
The following payment methods are widely accepted on Curacao Casinos:
- Visa & Master Card
- Instant Banking
- Revolut
- EzeeWallet
- Astropay
- Mifinity
- Jeton
- Stickpay
- Perfect Money
- Crypto Exchanges
- Bank Transfer
The exact availability depends on which country you live in and which Curacao casino you choose. But as you can see, there is a lot of different credit cards, e-wallets, vouchers, crypto and banking methods to choose from.
However, you should reduce your expectations when it comes to instant banking. These are not so called Pay N Play sites, where you register using bank identification and receive your withdrawal in just a few minutes. Usually, withdrawals take between 24 hours and 5 banking days, so put some ice in your hat and don’t panic immediately.
Trustly used to be a popular payment method, but unfortunately it doesn’t work anymore on most sites, at least not directly. So while there only exist very few Trustly Casinos with a Curacao license in 2023, you can sometimes still do payments with Trustly using a middleman, such as the Astropay e-wallet. We haven’t seen any Zimpler Curacao casinos recently either.
Usually, the instant banking option is offered by some non-EU provider (Flykk, Naudapay, Picksell Pay, Pion etc). Some of them only work with neo banks, such as Revolut, N26, Wise and Bunq BV. Other offer a limited selection of traditional banks.
Are Curacao Casinos Tax-Free or not? Answer: it depends!
There exist no universal EU-rules about how to tax casino winnings from Curacao or other territories outside the EEA (The European Economic Area). This means it is up to each country to decide for themselves if the players should have to pay tax or not.
Below we are comparing two neighbouring EU countries, to illustrate just how different the tax rules can be:
Example 1: Sweden | Example 2: Finland |
---|---|
If a Curacao casino without Swedish license targets Sweden, the player has to pay 30% tax on their winnings. | If an online casino is licensed in Curacao, the player has to pay tax on their winnings because it is licensed outside EEA. |
If a Curacao casino doesn’t target Sweden, but targets another EEA country, the player doesn’t have to pay tax. | Player should pay tax on every winning bet, even if they lost the money they won with their next bet |
The tax agency looks at things such as language, currency, marketing, and payment methods to determine if the targeting criteria is met (overall assessment). | Casino winnings are counted as income and taxed according to the player’s income tax rate. |
The tax rate is 30% and applies on yearly winnings above 100 SEK. | It is the players responsibility to declare and pay the winnings tax. This is done on every year during the regular tax declaration. |
The tax is calculated per casino company, so the player cannot use the yearly losses from one casino to reduce their tax burden at another casino. | - |
(Source: Skatteverket.se) | (Source: Vero.fi) |
So, if the taxation in your country of residence is like the Swedish example above, then you can enjoy tax-free winnings if you choose the correct Curacao casino. But if your home country’s system reminds more of the Finnish example, then you better be prepared to pay a big lump of your winnings to the tax bear. If it’s the latter, we would personally just stick to MGA-licensed casinos to avoid the hassle.
Some Curacao players using crypto payments and e-wallets are ignoring their tax obligations, because they think that the chance that they get caught by the tax agency is minimal. We wouldn’t advice anyone to try to wing it. It’s risky and can have very costly consequences. It’s better to be a responsible adult and not do anything illegal.
How to Tell if a Curaçao Casino is Good or Bad
Today, we still see tons of low quality Curaçao Casinos roaming the internet, casinos that shouldn’t have any licenses at all. This is the reason why it’s so important to always do your research before you start playing. Ask yourself the following questions to determine if a site is good or bad.
Questions for Curaçao Casinos
- Does the casino show license information such as logo and number in the footer?
- Can you click on the logo to verify that the license is still valid?
- Is it easy to find contact information for the casino?
- Is the information in the footer consistent with the terms and conditions?
- How transparent is the casino about the t&cs in their bonus marketing?
- What results do you get when you google “casino name warning” or “casino name avoid”?
A simple google search will help you get fast and reliable information about any casino these days. There you can easily read reviews, and check other players’ experiences with the casino. Forum and other message boards are also fairly informative sources.
Something that is very important to keep in mind when doing research however, is that many sources can be partial. It’s always possible that the casino can have paid for a positive review, and that’s why you should always check multiple sources. Also remember that it’s typical human behaviour to only leave a review when shit hits the fan. That’s why you see a lot of one-star reviews.
At Slotsoo all our casino reviews are 4-stars or higher and reading them is a good first step in your research journey. There are three reasons why you cannot find a Curaçao casino on Slotsoo: either it’s too bad, or it’s too new, or then it doesn’t target the EU market. Have a look at the ones below!
Recommended Curaçao Casino Reviews
Curaçao Compared to Other Gaming Licenses
Curaçao has earned a bad reputation over the years and even with the license reform, it will take years before it’s seen as one of the Best Options for International Casinos. We hope the new Curaçao license will hold casinos to a much higher standard, which creates a safer environment for us players.
Curaçao Gaming Control Board also needs to step up their game and show that they have players back in case of problems. Until now, it has been up to the master licenses to handle disputes and unfortunately ghosting players has not been uncommon.
Today, we would still rank Estonia and Malta as the top choices for Europeans. Not only do these both license providers offer good support and security, but the winnings should also be tax-free for those who live within the European Economic Area (=EU member countries, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein).
Of course, if your country has their own local license then that’s a perfectly good choice, too. The country specific licenses usually offer less freedom of choice though, with rules restricting how much you can deposit or how many bonuses you can get. They usually also have restrictions related to payment methods and currencies.
When playing at online casinos with Curaçao license you will not have to worry about this kind of stuff. Bitcoin and other crypto currencies are widely accepted. You usually cannot pay with crypto on European licensed sites, so if Bitcoin casinos are your thing then it’s either Curaçao, Kahnawake or Costa Rica.
Curacao Online Casinos Pros & Cons
- More freedom
- Crypto payments
- Very varied quality
- Usually have to pay tax
- Less player protection
- Dishonest bonus marketing
The Curaçao Casinos’ Mass Migration to Costa Rica
For many veteran casino players, shady casinos are the first thing that comes in mind when they hear the word Curaçao. The island is tired of their bad reputation and has actively been working towards creating a stricter and more safe license ever since 2014. Curaçao’s new remote gaming law 2024 will be the final step in this plan.
While most players welcome this maturing with open arms, not all Curaçao Casinos are as happy. After all, the reason they chose this license is because it is cheap and has very few requirements. Thus, the license reform has led several sites to switch to other alternatives, such as Costa Rica.
Costa Rica is even more lax on rules and regulations, and offer good tax rates for companies. But did you know that there is actually no Costa Rica casino license? Meaning, there is no gaming authority that supervises the operators and punishes those that threat players badly.
Costa Rica casinos can’t go totally rogue though, they need to make sure payments and private data are secured, and that the customer gets what they paid for. Just like any webshop or other online business registered in Costa Rica. With the bottom feeders going to other waters, we hope that Curaçao will be able to clean it’s license and attract more serious casinos!
Frequently Asked Questions - Casinos with Curacao License
What is a Curacao Casino?
A Curaçao Casino is an online casino with a license from the Caribbean island Curaçao. This is one of the easiest licenses to obtain for an online casino, which also means it doesn’t have as high safety standards as other licenses.
Where do you find the best Curacao Casinos?
We’ve listed some of the Top Curaçao Casinos 2024 here at Slotsoo. You can use our lists and with just the click of a button, get sent to some of the best casinos around the net. We even offer exclusive bonuses to some of them!
Is it safe to play on Curacao licensed Casinos?
As the Curaçao license is quite easy to obtain for literally anyone, the license itself is not that trustworthy. We would be careful when scouting for new casinos with this license as there are a lot of scam casinos around that will do anything to steal your money.
How do you get in contact with Curaçao?
If you have an active twist with a Curaçao casino which you haven’t been able to resolve with the casino internally, you should contact the correct master license for help. In our guide we have contact information for each of them.