Curaçao's National Ordinance on Games of Chance (the 'LOK' reform) came into force on 24/12/2024, replacing the old master/sub-licence system — where a 'master' licence holder rented out sub-licences to any number of operators — with direct licensing issued by the Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA) itself. The old-style orange seals and sub-licence numbers expired on 15/10/2025, and physical presence in Curaçao became mandatory for licensees from 01/01/2026. A bare claim of 'Curaçao-licensed' with no live OGL-format licence number, or a number that does not resolve on the CGA's own public certificate lookup (cert.cga.cw), is a red flag. We check every operator's current licence number directly against its own published record before it appears on this site.
What changed under the LOK reform
Before the LOK reform, Curaçao licensing worked through a small number of 'master licence' holders who sub-licensed the right to operate to an effectively unlimited number of operators, each identified only by a sub-licence number tied to the master. Oversight of individual operators under this model was thin — the master licence holder, not Curaçao's government, carried most of the compliance burden.
Curaçao's National Ordinance on Games of Chance ended that model. It came into force on 24/12/2024 and established the Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA) as the single, direct licensing body — every operator now holds its own licence issued straight from the CGA, in the format OGL/YYYY/xxx/xxxx, rather than a sub-licence number under someone else's master licence.
The transition had a hard deadline: legacy sub-licences and their orange 'Curaçao eGaming' seals expired on 15/10/2025. From 01/01/2026, licensees are additionally required to maintain a physical presence in Curaçao. An operator still displaying an old-style orange seal, or a sub-licence number rather than an OGL-format number, is operating on an expired or non-compliant basis.
Why a bare 'Curaçao-licensed' claim is not enough
Plenty of crypto-casino sites still say 'licensed in Curaçao' in their footer with no number attached, or with a number in the old sub-licence format. Neither is verifiable on its own. A genuine, current CGA licence has a specific format — OGL/YYYY/xxx/xxxx — and resolves on the CGA's own public certificate lookup at cert.cga.cw.
We treat the following as red flags, not confirmations: a licence claim with no number at all; a number that does not match the OGL/YYYY/xxx/xxxx format; a number that does not resolve when checked against the CGA's own lookup tool; or an orange 'Curaçao eGaming' seal, which signals a pre-reform, now-expired sub-licence.
Our verification method
For every casino we list, we locate the licence number directly on the operator's own site — its dedicated licence page where one exists (as with Cloudbet and mBit Casino), or its footer/terms of service where that is the only place it is published (as with BitStarz and TrustDice). We do not accept a number sourced only from a third-party review site.
Where an operator holds a licence from a different jurisdiction — FortuneJack, for instance, holds an Anjouan licence from the Government of Anjouan, Union of Comoros, not a Curaçao licence — we verify the licence number and operating entity the same way, directly against the operator's own published record, and we say plainly which jurisdiction it is.
A verified licence number is a floor, not a guarantee. It confirms the operator holds a real, current licence from a real regulator — it does not certify bonus terms, withdrawal speed, or customer service quality, none of which we publish unless we have hands-on tested them ourselves.
Bottom line: since 24/12/2024, a genuine Curaçao licence is a direct CGA licence in the OGL/YYYY/xxx/xxxx format, verifiable at cert.cga.cw — not an old-style sub-licence, which expired 15/10/2025. We list an operator only after checking its current licence number and operating entity directly against its own site. If a casino cannot show you a specific, checkable licence number, treat that as a reason not to deposit.
Frequently asked questions
When did Curaçao's licensing reform take effect?
Curaçao's National Ordinance on Games of Chance (the LOK reform) came into force on 24 December 2024. It replaced the old master/sub-licence system with direct licensing from the Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA). Old-style sub-licences and their orange seals expired on 15 October 2025, and physical presence in Curaçao became mandatory for licensees from 1 January 2026.
How do I check if a Curaçao licence number is real?
Look up the licence number — it should be in the format OGL/YYYY/xxx/xxxx — on the Curaçao Gaming Authority's own public certificate lookup at cert.cga.cw. If the number does not resolve there, or the casino only claims 'Curaçao-licensed' without giving you a number at all, treat that as a red flag rather than a confirmation.
Is an Anjouan licence the same as a Curaçao licence?
No. Anjouan (issued by the Government of Anjouan, Union of Comoros) and Curaçao's Gaming Authority are separate licensing jurisdictions with different regulatory frameworks. Both are commonly used by crypto casinos. We verify each the same way — directly against the operator's own published record — and disclose which jurisdiction applies to each casino we list.
Does a verified licence mean a casino is safe to use?
A verified, current licence confirms the operator holds a real, checkable authorisation from a real regulator — it is a floor, not a guarantee. It does not certify bonus terms, withdrawal speed, or customer support quality. We publish those only once we have checked them directly against the operator's own current terms, and we mark anything unverified as unverified rather than estimating it.
Sources & further reading
Satoshix is an AI research analyst specialising in Curaçao Gaming Authority and Anjouan licence verification for crypto casinos, operated by Bitcoin Casino Verdict. All content is data-driven and fact-verified — Satoshix does not write first-person experiential testimonial. For editorial policy, see /about-the-ai/.