Curaçao eGaming: Master License 1668/JAZ Review

By Casinomeister Mar 25, 2024

Casinomeister's Verdict

Probably the worst online casino license in the world. You’d be better off getting a license from a houseplant. Curacao has a lackluster reputation when it comes to regulating companies who it’s issued licenses too, and the regulator has been shown to turn a blind eye to companies operating illegitimately (running pirated games, for example), as well as sites allowing players from sign up from all countries regardless of restrictions such as Gamstop.

Pretty much worthless – licenses casinos with stolen software.

1 Our Rating
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Curaçao eGaming: Master License 1668/JAZ
1996
Pletterijweg Oost, Ara Hilltop Building, Curaçao
Weak

Pros

  • Located on a pretty island

  • Easy for operators to acquire a license

Cons

  • Flaccid like a wet noodle

  • Offer virtually no protection to players, in the case of things going wrong

  • Very, very rarely take action against operators breaking conditions of their license

  • Known in the online gambling world as a “Rogue Regulator” 

lazy bastards at Curaçao Egaming
Working hard in Curaçao

Curaçao eGaming is one of the four master license holders (No. 1668/JAZ) in Curacao. This master license was issued by the Minister of Justice, and it has also been referred to as Cyberluck Curacao N.V.

In May 2016, it was reported that a number of online casinos were using pirated software from Netent and Novomatic (GreenTube), to which the licensing jurisdiction allegedly investigated further. This is questionable since there were never any statements issued by this licensing agency concerning this matter.

Further, after the agency was notified, they refused to release any instructions for players to recoup their funds. They never explained how their licensed casinos were able to run software undetected – software that was neither audited nor authorized.

The casinos that were using the counterfeit software removed the games – but even so, they are still in operation. So with this jurisdiction it’s “catch me if you can.” I’m guessing that their philosophy is “don’t use cheating software. If you do, please remove it or we will revoke your license.”

What an absolute joke. In essence, this is a rogue license holder. There is no safety net for players, players are cheated and not given any way to recoup their funds.

From their website: “The mission of Curaçao eGaming is to supervise and ensure the integrity and conduct of their licensed operators and providers of services. Since 1996, they’ve maintained global recognition for consistently delivering reliable services to the eCom and eGaming markets.”

Curacao eGaming Licensing Authority

Curacao is a small island found in the Caribbean Sea, and this former constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands – despite remaining relatively unknown to the vast majority of players – is one of the biggest hubs for online gambling operators, thanks to its attractive low tax rates, and relative ease of acquiring gaming licenses.

The Curacao eGaming Licensing Authority is the body in charge of issuing licenses, and companies based both in Curacao, and globally, are welcome to apply for licenses, so long as they can meet the requirements set-forth in the license conditions.

Unfortunately, Curacao has a pretty poor reputation when it comes to regulating companies who it’s issued licenses too, and the regulator has been shown to turn a blind eye to companies operating illegitimately (running pirated games, for example), as well as sites allowing players from sign up, even if they shouldn’t be able to – UK players, for example.

About The Curacao eGaming Licensing Authority

The Curacao eGaming Licensing Authority is actually one of the world’s oldest, and the authority was first formed back in 1996, under directives from the Curacao Gaming Control Board.

At first, the authority’s power was somewhat limited, though this changed with the Curacao Department of Justice’s decision to pass over distribution of all gambling licenses to the authority.

Like most regulators, the Curacao eGaming Licensing Authority requires all its license holders to meet a number of minimum license requirements before licenses are actually issued, and it also requires licensed sites to display an electronic logo on their website’s footer, so that players can quickly and easily verify the status of the license for themselves.

Provisions of a License

The license provisions put in place by the Curacao e-Gaming Licensing Authority are fairly standard, and don’t differ too much from those found imposed by other regulators. The issue with Curacao, however, is that often-times these license conditions aren’t effectively enforced, allowing some rogue operators to get away with operating under-hand business practices.

Still, on paper, the Authority requires that operators keep a full paper trail of each and every player who makes a deposit – which must be presented to the regulator on demand. Casinos licensed by the Authority are also not allowed to accept players from the Netherlands Antilles, and, as you’d expect, all games offered on sites licensed by Curacao must undergo independent third-party testing to ensure their fairness.

Unethical marketing and advertising is also not allowed to be used by companies with a Curacao license – although again, many times this requirement appears to be nothing more than words, as the regulator rarely (if ever) takes action against operators found to be breaking their license terms.

A Shoddy, Rushed Attempt at Providing Responsible Gambling

One of the things you’ll see offered at any legitimate online casino licensed by an online gambling regulator like the UKGC or the MGA is the option for players to enter into a self-exclusion agreement. Self-exclusion allows you to completely and permanently block access to your online casino account for a minimum of 6 months – and some online gambling regulators have started to roll out site-wide schemes, allowing you to simply enter into one self-exclusion agreement to be automatically blocked from all online casinos operating under that license.

The Curacao eGaming Licensing Authority has attempted to do something similar, and on their website they have a dedicated page called ‘self-exclusion’. This states “The option to Self-Exclude is an intermediary service offered by Curaçao eGaming.

By submitting a request for Self-Exclusion, the end user (player) triggers a mandatory procedure for the operator to discontinue services to the end user for a minimum of 6 (six) months as per the IP-Agreement between CEG and the operator. Please go to the seal of your casino website to apply for the self-exclusion feature.”

However, upon clicking the ‘read more’ button you’re simply taken to a webpage that doesn’t work – it states that it’s currently being ‘worked on’ – and, in our experience, this is all pretty typical from the online gambling regulator – along with all other Curacao master license holders.

They like to make it look as though they’re working hard to provide players with the responsible gambling tools they need to protect themselves – but in reality, the Curacao online gaming industry really has a huge amount of work to do, especially when it comes to responsible gambling. 

What is the Process to Actually Get a License?

Many of our readers may be curious about what the Curaçao gaming control board actually require in order for online casino operators to get a license – and while the process of applying for an online gambling license is pretty much the same no matter what gambling jurisdictions you’re in – the Curacao requirements are a little more lax than others. First and foremost you’ll need to submit a number of documents. This includes copies of a Passport, bank account statements and tax returns of all managing directors of the company.

The online gambling regulator also requires you to submit a comprehensive breakdown of the online gambling operations you plan on carrying out – and you’ll need to provide them with a description of your target geographical market.

The license process typically takes 2-4 weeks, depending on the quality of the documentation submitted by the applicant. Once all of the forms are completed, they may be emailed to begin the licensing process.

Curacao eGaming professionals will assist you with every stage of the license and post-licensing phases, including frequent compliance checks to avoid excessive fines on your part, financial operational aid from offshore partners, and software maintenance assistance from partner firms.

There are not only standard (“master”) licenses, but also sub-licensee licenses that may be issued to third-party organizations by the holder of the “master” license. It’s worth noting that the holder of the “master” license is responsible for the acts of the sublicensees to whom he has issued licenses.

The cost of setting up a general license is around $34,000, plus $5,600 every month for the next two years. After that time period has passed, the actual magnitude of the fees will be negotiated with the Curacao government.

Except for the option to award sublicensees (which might wind up being dubbed “sub sublicenses”), holders of the sublicensee get the same deal. The sublicense is effective while the “master” license is in effect, and the “master” license expires five years after issue and can be renewed.

Disputes and Player Complaints

As is the case with most regulators, any problems that arise between players and casinos should first be dealt with – where possible – through the casino’s internal complaints procedure.

If no agreement is reached, players can take their complaint to an independent third-party ADR service (Alternative Dispute Resolution Service), which will make an impartial decision based on the evidence provided by both sides.

If, after this, the player is still unhappy with the result, they can log a complaint with the licensing authority – although the player must have exhausted all other options before choosing this route.

Contact Details

Jurisdiction: Curacao (Netherlands Antilles)

Founded: 1996

Address: CIGA, E-Commerce Park, E-Zone Vredenburg, Curacao Netherlands Antilles

Email: compliance@curacao-egaming.com

Phone: +5999 465 1134

Website: ttps://www.curacao-egaming.com

FAQs

Are sports betting sites licensed by the Curacao eGaming Licensing Authority?

Yes; today, with more sportsbooks than ever before, it’s only natural that many of these online gambling operators have chosen to base themselves in Curacao – and many sports betting companies hold a license with the online gambling regulator Curacao eGaming Licensing Authority. Many online gambling site platforms – not just online casinos – are licensed by Curacao eGaming Licensing Authority, and this means that you can find sportsbooks, poker rooms, bingo sites and more – all with a license from the Curacao eGaming Licensing Authority.

Of course, just because you see a site licensed by Curacao eGaming Licensing Authority, it doesn’t mean that you should join up – and there’s quite a few issues with the license, some of which we’ve looked at on this page. However, not all Curacao eGaming Licensing Authority-licensed sites are shady – but you need to do your research before you choose a site.

Is the Curacao eGaming Licensing Authority legit?

Unfortunately, while it’s certainly not fair to say that all online casinos licensed by the Curacao eGaming Licensing Authority are dodgy, many are – and that’s one of the big reasons we have with the online gambling regulator. They run pretty much no background checks on those who want to apply for a license from them – and even when it’s been found that an online casino running under their license is operating unfairly, the regulator seldom takes action.

Indeed, even when some online casino sites have been proven to be running fake online casino games – ones that don’t use a true random number generator – the operator simply hasn’t cared, and for this reason we’d strongly recommend staying well-clear of many of the gambling site platforms you’ll find that operate under a Curacao eGaming Licensing Authority license. Although, not all – as you’ll see in just a moment.

Are many online gambling companies licensed by the Curacao eGaming Licensing Authority?

Yes; along with the other four master license holders, the Curacao eGaming Licensing Authority is one of the most popular online gaming regulators in the world today, and thousands of different sites hold a license from them. There’s a wide variety of reasons why so many companies choose to gamble online with a Curacao eGaming Licensing Authority license, and one of the most common reasons is the favorable tax laws. Another reason is that the gambling license is really easy to get – unlike other online gaming regulators you don’t have to complete a wide variety of checks.

How long does it take to get a license?

When an online casino applies for a license from the Curacao eGaming Licensing Authority the process is pretty quick; usually, it takes between one and two months for the entire application to be processed and the license to be issued. Compare this to when online casino sites apply for a license from the UKGC, for example, which can take almost a year – and you’ll see why so many companies choose to get their license from the Curacao eGaming Licensing Authority.

Why does the Curacao eGaming Licensing Authority have a bad reputation?

The Curacao eGaming Licensing Authority has a bad reputation for a number of reasons. First of all, pretty much all scam casinos are licensed in Curacao – and this is because the license is simply so easy to get; the regulator carries out minimal background checks. Secondly, the Curacao eGaming Licensing Authority has shown that they don’t tend to take action on licensees who have been shown to breach the terms and conditions of their license.

What’s more, when a gambling site rips players off – for example, not paying them their winnings – the Curacao eGaming Licensing Authority tends to turn a completely blind eye to the practice. Even if you choose to make a complaint directly to the Curacao eGaming Licensing Authority you’ll be lucky to even receive a response – and this simply isn’t good enough for a gambling site regulator in 2021.

Should I avoid all online casinos licensed by the Curacao eGaming Licensing Authority?

Not necessarily; while it’s definitely true that many of the gambling site platforms that hold a license from the Curacao eGaming Licensing Authority are rogue operations, this isn’t the case for all; for example, some online casinos simply can’t afford to apply for a license from bigger regulators like the UKGC or the MGA, and this means they don’t have much choice but to apply for a license from a cheaper regulator.

However, if you do go ahead and play at one of the casinos licensed by the Curacao eGaming Licensing Authority you should do a lot of thorough research beforehand to ensure that the site is legit and doesn’t have a poor reputation in the iGaming industry. Any of the online casinos shown here on Casinomeister that holds a gaming license from the Curacao eGaming Licensing Authority has proven itself to be trustworthy – and this means you’re able to play there without having to worry about whether or not the site is legit.

Where can I find the best, most trusted online casinos?

If you’re looking for the top casinos – even if they hold a gaming license from the Curacao eGaming Licensing Authority – then make sure that you check out one of the online casinos listed here on this page – or on the Casinomeister website. All of the casinos listed here on our site have undergone thorough testing and vetting, and our team of online gaming experts work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to make sure that all of the online casinos listed here are operating up to our high standards.

If you see a casino that you like the look of just press the ‘join now’ button, and you’ll be taken directly to the casino’s sign-up page.

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