The Curacao license explained

What is a Curacao license?

A Curacao license is permission to run gambling under the law of Curaçao, a constituent country in the Dutch Caribbean. Since the reform, the license comes directly from the Curaçao Gaming Authority, which acts on behalf of Curaçao's Minister of Finance and has licensing, supervision and enforcement powers.

Curaçao has been a base for online casinos for decades, which is why the word appears in so many casino footers and review listings. For US players, the important point is simple: a Curaçao license is issued under Curaçao law. It is not a license from New Jersey, Michigan or any other US state, and it doesn't make an online casino legal in a state that hasn't authorized online casinos. Our US gambling law hub puts this in the wider federal and state picture.

Because the regime changed so much in 2023 and 2024, older reviews and casino pages often describe a system that no longer exists. Knowing what changed helps you spot outdated or vague license claims.

The LOK reform: Curacao gaming license law since 2024

The Curaçao Gaming Authority began a phased reform of online gaming in November 2023. The new law, the Landsverordening op de kansspelen (LOK), or National Ordinance on Games of Chance, came into force on December 24, 2024, according to the CGA's online gaming page (opens in a new tab).

The CGA succeeded the Gaming Control Board, founded in 1999, as an independent public body. It set up an Enforcement Unit in 2025. The biggest structural change was the end of the old sublicense system. Before the reform, a small number of master license holders could place many casino brands under their license. Under the LOK, operators fall directly under CGA supervision.

The CGA has published supporting rules: an anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorist-financing policy with compliance officer requirements (effective January 9, 2025), a Responsible Gaming Policy (April 17, 2025), an updated Complaints Policy (June 18, 2025) and guidelines for alternative dispute resolution (September 8, 2025).

Curacao license types and the 2026 reassessment

There are two license types under the LOK. A B2C online gaming license covers operators that take bets from players. A B2B supplier license covers companies that supply games or platforms to operators. Both are indefinite-term once confirmed.

As of December 17, 2025, local news coverage of the LOK's first year, alongside the CGA's own figures, put the count at 604 provisional licenses: 551 B2C and 53 B2B. Another 139 applications had been rejected. Provisional licenses are due to be reassessed in 2026 before they become indefinite, so a license that was valid in 2025 isn't automatically permanent.

How to check a Curacao license number

A genuine CGA license under the new regime carries a number. Two examples from casino terms pages show the format: Arbol Media B.V. lists license OGL/2024/670/0711 for its brands, and Gareton B.V. lists OGL/2024/165/0185. A casino that says only "licensed in Curaçao" without a number gives you nothing to verify.

1. Scroll to the casino's footer and open its terms and conditions. Look for the operating company's name, its registration number and a license number.
2. Note the exact license number. Under the LOK, numbers start with OGL for online gaming licenses.
3. Go to the Curaçao Gaming Authority website (opens in a new tab), which links a license register. Whether the register works as a full searchable validator wasn't confirmed, so look for the company name as well as the number.
4. Check the CGA's public warnings page (opens in a new tab) for the brand or company name.
5. Compare what the casino says with what independent reviewers report. Where they disagree, treat the license as unconfirmed.
6. Then check your own state's law. Even a confirmed Curaçao license doesn't change whether online casino play is lawful where you live.

The CGA site noted an interim online gaming portal launched on October 19, 2026, and a press release about unauthorized access. Expect the site's layout to keep changing while the new regime beds in.

Casinos US players see with a Curacao license claim

Many offshore brands that market to US players mention Curaçao, but the quality of the claim varies a lot. Some publish a CGA number; some name Curaçao with no number; some are listed as Curaçao by reviewers while their own site shows nothing.

Bovada is a useful contrast. Michigan's Gaming Control Board named Harp Media B.V., a Curaçao company, as its operator, but Bovada's own terms of service cite licensing by the Union of the Comoros and the Central Reserve Authority of Western Sahara, with no number. A Curaçao company isn't the same thing as a Curaçao license.

SlotoCash, Decode and the Curacao license question

Two of our partners are the ones most often linked to Curaçao, so it's worth being exact about what's known.

SlotoCash. Its terms, fair-gaming page and footer name no license or license number, and the terms describe Sloto'Cash only as the trade name of Slotocash Casino. Third-party sources fill the gap differently. One review listing shows Curaçao (CGA) with no number; an affiliate-program profile says it is licensed by the "Central Government of the Netherlands Antilles", also with no number, a description that names no current regulator. Third parties widely report SlotoCash as a Deckmedia N.V. brand. The Michigan Gaming Control Board named SlotoCash in a cease-and-desist release on October 8, 2026 (opens in a new tab), one of 33 letters the board announced that day; our Michigan gambling laws page has the background. Our SlotoCash legit check covers it in full.

Decode. Its site footer shows only "Copyright © 2026 Decode Casino" and no license. One review site's listing says Curaçao (CGA) while its own review text says no licensing information was found; another reports the "Curaçao Gaming Control Board" with no number. The operating company isn't disclosed. See our Decode legit check.

In short, neither partner publishes a Curaçao license that a player could check. Treat the Curaçao label as reported, not confirmed.

Does a Curacao license protect US players?

Only to the extent the CGA's own rules reach the operator and the CGA acts on a complaint. None of the CGA pages reviewed for this explainer say anything about the US market, and whether the CGA's complaints and ADR process helps US players at a particular brand wasn't found.

On the US side, the picture is clearer. US legality turns on US federal and state law, not on a foreign license. The federal UIGEA definition of unlawful internet gambling (opens in a new tab) looks to the law of the state where the bet is made, and the Illegal Gambling Business Act, 18 U.S.C. § 1955, turns on a violation of state law. Under neither statute does a Curaçao license count as a US state license.

Michigan shows what that means in practice. The Michigan Gaming Control Board's April 9, 2025 release (opens in a new tab) on cease-and-desist letters to 13 unlicensed operators described them as offshore operators based in Curaçao, Costa Rica and Anjouan, and named Silver Oak and Planet 7 among them. The board says offshore sites don't honor Michigan's Responsible Gaming Database and that it can't help players recover deposits from them. Our page on cease-and-desist letters lists more state actions.

For a fuller side-by-side, read our guide to player protections offshore vs licensed and the explainer on offshore vs state-licensed casinos.

Curacao license red flags to watch for

• No number at all. "Licensed in Curaçao" with no OGL number and no company name can't be checked.
• Old regulator names. References to master licenses, sublicenses or bodies that predate the LOK suggest the page hasn't been updated since the reform.
• Conflicting claims. One review says Curaçao, another says Costa Rica or none. Our pages on Anjouan licenses and Costa Rica casino licenses cover the other common claims.
• A company, not a license. A Curaçao-registered company (an N.V. or B.V.) is a corporate registration. It doesn't prove a gaming license.
• Badges with no link. A seal that doesn't lead to a regulator page proves nothing.

Our guide on how to spot a rogue casino adds payout and terms red flags, and our page on how to read casino terms shows where license details usually hide.

Curacao gaming license timeline

Partner casinos reported under a Curacao license

We show SlotoCash and Decode here because third-party reviewers associate both with Curaçao, but neither publishes a license on its own site. Both are offshore casinos that aren't licensed or regulated by any US state, so there's no state regulator to complain to and no state-backed protection of balances. Check your state's law before you play. Offers are for players 21+ (18+ where allowed) and terms apply.

SlotoCash Casino: $6,000 Welcome Bonus + 60 Free Spins, via our link (new players, 21+ or 18+ where allowed, terms apply). The casino's own site advertises a different package, $7,777 + 300 spins over the first five deposits, with 25x (deposit plus bonus) wagering, a $20 minimum deposit per bonus, no max cashout and a $10 max bet while a bonus is active. Eligible games are slots, Real-Series video slots (not progressive jackpots), keno and scratch cards. Those are the casino's own published terms, and the terms shown at sign-up apply. See our SlotoCash review.

Decode Casino: $5,000 Welcome Bonus + 50 Free Spins, via our link (new players, 21+ or 18+ where allowed, terms apply). Decode's site shows no bonus terms, so the terms here are third-party reports: one listing shows code DECODE111 for 111% up to $1,111 at 25x (bonus plus deposit) with a $25 minimum, and code EASY25CODE for a 400% sign-up bonus at 35x with no max cashout. Codes change, and the terms shown at sign-up apply. See our Decode review.

Bonuses are slot-focused. Table games are often excluded or weighted lower, so check the terms before you play.

21+ (18+ where allowed). Every casino game has a built-in house edge, so over time you should expect to lose what you stake. Set a budget before you play and stop when it’s gone: responsible gambling tools and free help. Gambling problem? Call or text 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738).