Checked 7 October 2026. A Curaçao licence claim should be verified against the Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA), the named legal operator and the exact website domain. A logo or licence number printed in a casino footer is not enough on its own.
This guide explains the current checks for a Curaçao-licensed online casino. It does not say that a site is licensed by the UK Gambling Commission, accepts players in Great Britain or is suitable for any particular reader.
What changed under Curaçao’s current licensing system?
Curaçao’s National Ordinance on Games of Chance, commonly called the LOK, entered into force on 24 December 2024. Under that framework, the CGA is the regulator responsible for online-gaming licensing and supervision in Curaçao.
The change matters because older references to master licences and sub-licences can be misleading. The CGA says the previous orange sub-license certificate and seal are no longer valid. A current operator should instead use the CGA’s green dynamic seal linked to its certificate of operation.
How to check a Curaçao casino licence step by step
1. Record the exact domain
Copy the hostname from the browser address bar. Do not rely only on a brand name, search result or advert. Similar-looking domains can belong to different businesses, and a licence associated with one domain should not be assumed to cover another.
Take a screenshot showing the address bar and the date of the check. If the site later changes its footer or terms, that record can help establish what was displayed when you registered or deposited.
2. Find the legal operator
Read the site’s terms, privacy notice and footer for the full company name, company number and registered address. The brand name may differ from the licensed legal entity. Our separate guide explains how to identify the legal operator behind a non-UK casino.
If different pages name different companies, stop and resolve the inconsistency before relying on the licence claim. Save copies of the relevant terms and privacy notice.
3. Open the CGA seal rather than trusting the image
The CGA’s preferred implementation is a dynamic seal. The regulator says the seal must be associated with a certificate URL in the format https://cert.cga.cw/certificate?id=DOMAIN_TOKEN. A static image that does not open a CGA certificate does not complete the check.
Open the certificate in a new tab and confirm that the browser stays on the official cga.cw domain. Do not treat a screenshot of a seal, a copied image or a certificate hosted on the casino’s own server as regulator confirmation.
4. Match the certificate to the operator and website
Compare the certificate details with the legal company and exact domain you recorded. Check the status shown on the official page and note whether the certificate is current. A valid certificate for another company, another brand or another domain is not a match.
The CGA portal distinguishes provisional and definitive licensing under the LOK. Do not convert that distinction into a claim that one website is safer or better. Record the actual status and any conditions shown by the official source.
5. Check the date and save the result
Licence status can change. Save the certificate URL, legal entity, exact domain, status and date checked. A PDF print or screenshot can be useful, but retain the live regulator URL as well.
What if the casino displays an orange seal?
The CGA states that the former orange seal and online certificate previously issued to sub-licensed operators are no longer valid. The regulator instructs licensed operators to use the current green seal. An old orange seal should therefore prompt a fresh check through the CGA rather than being accepted as proof.
The same caution applies to wording such as “licensed in Curaçao” when there is no working official certificate link. Marketing text is not a substitute for a current regulator record.
Does a Curaçao licence cover UK players?
No automatic conclusion follows. A Curaçao licence concerns the operator’s authorisation in or from Curaçao. It is not a UK Gambling Commission licence. The UK regulatory position, the operator’s own geographic terms and the exact domain all need separate checks.
Do not infer availability, legality in a player’s location, payment methods or consumer remedies from the licence seal alone. Those questions require their own evidence.
Checks to make before depositing
- Read the withdrawal, verification and account-closure terms.
- Confirm which company receives and holds player funds.
- Identify the complaint process and any named alternative dispute resolution provider.
- Save the version of the terms that applies on the registration date.
- Check the privacy notice for the data controller and complaint authority.
Our guides to casino withdrawal terms and non-UK casino privacy policies cover those separate checks.
What to do if the details do not match
Do not deposit while the legal entity, domain or certificate remains unclear. Ask the operator to explain the discrepancy in writing and keep the response. Recheck the official CGA certificate rather than following a replacement link supplied only in chat or email.
If a dispute already exists, follow the operator’s documented complaint procedure and preserve account statements, transaction records, messages and the terms that applied. The CGA publishes a complaints policy, while the operator’s terms may identify an approved alternative dispute resolution route. Our non-UK casino complaint guide explains how to organise that evidence without assuming every regulator uses the same process.
Official sources
- Curaçao Gaming Authority online-gaming portal and FAQs
- CGA licensing framework under the LOK
- CGA policies, licence notices and complaints material
Bottom line: verify the exact domain, legal operator and current CGA certificate together. A copied seal, an old orange certificate or a licence record for a different website is not enough.