If you work in the online gaming industry, there’s a chance you have a subscription to iGaming News. If not, what are you waiting for? Anyhow, if you’re totally cool like me (I’m talking Lady Gaga coolness here) and already have a subscription 
then you will have noticed the latest issue has a good chunk of information about Curacao.
For all the online bettors reading this, Curacao probably rings a bell. And no, I’m not talking about it’s appeal as a beautiful place to vacation at (FYI, Curacao is a Dutch Caribbean island, and consequently, a beautiful place to vacation at). But Curacao is also a key player in the “international” online gambling industry.
Being one of the first jurisdictions to regulate online gambling (1993), Curacao has steadily developed into one of the most sought after jurisdictions for online casino operators looking to set up shop while offering some degree of regulatory credibility to their players. These days, as pointed out in iGaming News, Curacao is being viewed as a top contender for betting site operators looking for more reasonable licensing costs and tax solutions (without being a tax haven). Curacao does not impose separate taxes on gaming revenue, while only subjecting an operators net revenue to a 2% tax rate.
But it hasn’t always been that way. Being a jurisdiction where many operators chiefly do business with U.S. players (much like Antigua & Barbuda), the passing of the US online gambling ban, aka UIGEA, not to mention being left off the UK Gambling Commission’s white-list, sort of put a dambper on Curacao’s rise as an internationally recognized regulatory jurisdiction, albeit a handful of popular U.S. facing online casino operators have been holding up here since the beginning.
However, now that the UK’s bilateral regulatory policies, which permitted white-listed operators to do business with UK citizens without requiring them to hold a UK license, are not being embraced in other EU countries like France (where a National regulatory policy is serving to protect State-run interests), Curacao is being seen in a new light. With the possibility that operators will likely need to hold multiple licenses in order to do business in EU countries with non-bilateral regulation, Curacao could very well become the “go to” destination for operators looking to expand.
So, if you’re a player and have ever wondered why so many online casinos are setting up shop in Curacao, that’s why. It’s not because there is no regulation (which is currently the case in Costa Rica, although that could very well change in the near future). Curacao’s “State Ordinance concerning the exploitation of hazard games on the international market by means of service lines” aka, P.B. 1993 no. 63 has you covered in that area (Contact the Netherlands Department of Justice and or www.curacao-egaming.com if you want more info).
Essentially, it all comes down to affordability, while maintaining credibility. In a market where national regulation is fueling State-run monopolies and overrunning a more internationally friendly regulatory regime, Curacao’s E-zone co-location services (which permits online casinos to operate in other regulated markets – pending, of course, on the laws of said regulated markets) is looking very promising. With the chances of a UK white-listing very likely, as well as e-Commerce Parks approval to host online gaming operators licensed by the Alderney Gaming Commission (which is already white-listed in the UK), as iGaming News points out, “The Return of Curacao” is imminent.
Looking for a Curacao licensed and regulated online casino to wager with. OCS highly recommends Go Casino, Aladdin’s Gold and Online Vegas.
Speaking on behalf of the LGA lately has been Reuben Portanier – the relatively new and youthful CEO who stepped in to fill the demanding role nine months ago. On second thought, up until recently, Portanier has not been saying much about anything, and thus pretty much out of the media spotlight. Granted, Portanier himself pointed out that the last few months have been consumed by consultations with local industry to ensure the LGA is on the same page – technically and legally – with the European facing online gambling industry.
