Financial
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UNIFIN DIGITAL LTD
Services Provided: Full corporate setup, AML/KYC compliance, and banking support.
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Gambling License
Online Casino Curacao License
Prepare your Curaçao gaming license application
Overview
Service Snapshot
Gofaizen & Sherle supports online casino and sportsbook businesses with company formation, application preparation and ongoing compliance. The engagement starts with your operating model and proposed markets. The Curacao Gaming Authority decides whether to grant authorization. A license does not automatically permit access to every country.
Service Snapshot
| Item | Overview |
| Authority / framework | Curacao Gaming Authority (CGA) / LOK |
| Main route | B2C online gaming license |
| Applicant | Curacao company with resident management |
| Review / term | Two-phase review / definitive license of indefinite duration |
| Budget | Gofaizen & Sherle package, official fees and external costs, itemized below |
The CGA application guidance explains eligibility, review and license duration.
Is This the Right Fit?
May fit: Businesses with transparent ownership, traceable funding and resources for player protection and local governance.
Not ready: Projects unable to evidence funding, payout liquidity or responsible gaming arrangements.
Needs assessment: White-label arrangements, mixed supplier/operator models and restricted target markets. These distinctions follow the CGA eligibility criteria.
Which Route Applies?
| Business role | Route | Key distinction |
| Player-facing operation, including control of player databases and transactions | B2C operator | Authorization required before operating |
| Curacao-established critical game or platform supplier | B2B supplier | Mandatory commencement scheduled for 24 December 2026 |
These are activity categories. Provisional and definitive describe license status, as explained below. The LOK, Articles 5.1, 5.13 and 15.10, governs the distinction.
Activities and Business Models
The assessment can cover casino, sports betting, poker, bingo, live-dealer and lottery products, alongside game and sportsbook software. Product rules, suppliers and approved domains must match the proposed operation. Payment services require separate consideration.
What Will Gofaizen & Sherle Handle?
G&S licensing consultants coordinate the corporate setup and application dossier, prepare agreed documentation, support CGA communications and arrange post-authorization assistance.
Clients provide accurate evidence and implement controls. Local corporate providers, auditors, test laboratories, tax advisers and payment providers retain their respective responsibilities.
Why Gofaizen & Sherle?
The service connects company formation, application documentation and ongoing support within an agreed scope. A dedicated consultant helps keep ownership records, business plans and policies consistent as the project moves from preparation to regulator review.
The Application Process
- Assessment: Gofaizen & Sherle reviews the model and agrees the scope with you.
- Preparation: You provide evidence while Gofaizen & Sherle coordinates incorporation and dossier preparation with relevant providers.
- Submission and review: Gofaizen & Sherle supports filing and responses. CGA assesses integrity and financial stability, then remaining LOK requirements.
- Decision: CGA determines authorization and conditions. Required invoices must be paid before formal grant, under its fee policy.
What Information is Needed?
For initial assessment:
- ownership
- existing company
- products
- domains
- markets
- funding
- platform
- suppliers and payments.
The complete dossier adds corporate records, personal disclosures, source-of-wealth/funds evidence, business plan, forecasts, policies and technical evidence. Gofaizen & Sherle maps these to the current CGA application forms.
How Long Does Review Take?
Preparation depends on document and platform readiness. For B2C applications, CGA targets eight weeks per complete phase, with possible extensions of four weeks per phase, according to its application guidance. This is an authority target, not a guaranteed launch date.
Regulatory Framework
The National Ordinance on Games of Chance (LOK), P.B. 2024 no. 157, took effect on 24 December 2024. New applications follow this framework. NOOGH and master/sub-license arrangements belong to the previous regime and its transition. The Dutch original is the legislative reference.
Current Status
| Issue | Position |
| Definitive license | Indefinite, subject to suspension or revocation |
| Provisional license | Up to six months, potentially extended by up to six months. Not mandatory for every applicant |
| Supplier licensing | Forthcoming mandatory requirement, distinct from B2C |
The CGA explains license status and supplier timing. Its local-substance announcement postpones Article 5.12 obligations until no earlier than 1 April 2027. This does not remove existing company and resident-management requirements.
Which Markets Can You Serve?
The license conditions, Article 3, require compliance with target-market laws.
| Question | Assessment needed |
| Can residents participate? | Local authorization, restrictions and exclusions |
| Can you advertise and accept payments? | Advertising, player-protection, payment and sanctions rules |
Ongoing Obligations and Regulatory Risk
License holders must maintain:
- AML/CFT/CPF controls, KYC, monitoring and applicable AML reporting under the CGA AML policy.
- Player-fund segregation, responsible gaming, tested systems, security, records and required reports under the license conditions.
- Required prior approvals for ownership, key-person and domain changes.
Breaches can lead to suspension or revocation. Unlicensed operations and false licensing claims create enforcement exposure under the LOK.
Banking, EMI and PSP Onboarding
Account approval is separate from licensing. Gofaizen & Sherle can assist with preparation and onboarding within the agreed scope.
| Review area | Evidence to prepare |
| Ownership and funding | UBO records and source-of-funds documents |
| Commercial risk | Markets, volumes, payment methods and chargebacks |
| Player protection | Segregation arrangements, transaction flows and AML controls |
Crypto payments require additional controls under the CGA crypto policy. A gaming license does not authorize exchange or unrelated payment services.
Tax Treatment
A license does not confer a blanket 2% or 0% tax rate. The Curacao tax authority distinguishes taxable profit and domestic/foreign activities. Obtain a structure-specific assessment covering income source, substance and applicable taxes separately from licensing fees.
Alternatives to Compare
| Jurisdiction | Route / assessment focus |
| Curacao | CGA operator/supplier distinction and local governance |
| Malta | MGA B2C/B2B routes and operational requirements |
| Anjouan | Internet gaming categories and license conditions |
| Tobique | Foreign online gaming applications and territorial scope |
Compare total cost, preparation, local presence, permitted markets and payment-provider fit for the same business model.
Sources reviewed: 16 September 2026. Official references accompany the relevant statements. The CGA public register provides license overviews, subject to its validity disclaimer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is B2B suitable for a white-label operator?
Not automatically. Responsibility for players, databases and transactions determines the assessment.
Can foreign founders apply?
Foreign founders can own the business. The applicant must be an eligible Curacao company that passes integrity checks.
Do you need a local company and resident management?
Yes. The applicant must be incorporated under Curacao law with its statutory seat there. Management requires a resident managing director or a Curacao corporate director with resident management.
What is the total license cost?
Combine the service package, official fees and project-specific external and operating costs.
Must every document be translated into English?
No. CGA accepts English, Dutch or Papiamentu supporting documents. Financial statements must remain in English.
Can filing begin before the dossier is complete?
Preparation can begin earlier. Missing evidence affects readiness for substantive review.
Is the review target the total project duration?
No. Incorporation, preparation and responses add time outside complete-phase review.
Must everyone obtain a provisional license first?
No. Provisional authorization depends on outstanding requirements and CGA’s assessment. A definitive license has indefinite duration.
When does mandatory supplier licensing start?
The scheduled commencement is 24 December 2026 for relevant Curacao-established suppliers.
Can a new applicant use a master license?
No. The current route is direct CGA authorization under LOK.
Does the license provide worldwide market access?
No. Every proposed market needs separate legal assessment.
Can compliance be outsourced entirely?
Providers can support delivery, but responsibility remains with the license holder.
Does approval secure a bank account?
No. Each bank, EMI or PSP makes its own onboarding decision.
Are foreign-player revenues automatically tax-exempt?
No. Foreign-player location alone does not establish foreign-source profit under territorial taxation rules.
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