A decision made by Curaçao’s Common Court of Justice is set to have major implications for online gambling licensing in the jurisdiction.
According to reports from The Curaçao Chronicle, the court ruled that the responsibility for decisions and disclosure related to online gambling licences lies with the government and the responsible minister, in this case, the Minister of Justice Shalten Hato.
The court was ruling in a case brought by the journalist Nardy Cramm, who had requested documents related to the gambling sector via Curaçao’s National Ordinance on Public Access to Government Information (Lob).
Cramm argued that Curaçao’s Governor, Mauritsz de Kort, was responsible for decision-making. However, the court rejected the argument, instead stating that gambling laws and the powers provided by them are the responsibility of the government and relevant ministers.
Judges also made clear that gambling licences must be granted through national decrees signed by the governor and the responsible minister. However, political responsibility still falls with ministers.
Oversight of Curaçao’s gaming industry shifted as part of the implementation of the National Ordinance on Games of Chance (LoK), which was passed in December 2024.
Under previous legislation, the Minister of Justice was tasked with overseeing the sector. However, this has now moved to the Ministry of Justice.
The Curaçao Gaming Authority was formed as part of the implementation of LoK to regulate the sector, and the CGA’s Aideen Shortt described a shift to oversight by the Ministry of Justice as a ‘natural progression’.
She told iGaming Expert in October 2025: “Having built the legal and operational foundations for the new regime, the CGA is now focused on supervision and monitoring – areas that naturally fall within the Justice portfolio.”
This latest ruling by the court further helps to provide further clarity to the market, and cements the Ministry of Justice as the major overseer of gambling on the island.
