How to check a casino licence (Curaçao’s 2023-2026 reform explained)
Almost every crypto casino footer shows a licence seal. A seal is a picture until the regulator confirms it. This guide explains what changed in Curaçao, the jurisdiction behind most crypto casinos, and how to check a licence claim yourself in a few minutes. The short version of each check is also on our licence check page.
What changed in Curaçao
For decades Curaçao licensed online gambling under an offshore ordinance known as the LBH. In practice there were only four master licence holders, and each could issue sub-licences to operators, which lasted as long as the master licence did (Curaçao Chronicle, December 2025). That is where numbers like 8048/JAZ or 1668/JAZ come from. The reform replaced this with direct licensing by one regulator.
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| July 2023 | Master licences extended by up to a year until the new law is enacted; from 1 September 2023 the Gaming Control Board starts licensing operators directly (next.io) |
| September-November 2023 | Licence portal opens on 1 September; operators can upload applications from 15 November (iGB) |
| 30 April 2024 | Application deadline for existing sub-licensees; a wave of master licences expires in August 2024 and is not renewed (iGB, July 2024) |
| 24 December 2024 | The National Ordinance on Games of Chance (LOK) takes effect; the Gaming Control Board now operates as the Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA); the master/sub-licence system is replaced (Legal500, Helix Partners) |
| 10 April 2025 | New anti-money-laundering regulations take effect (same Legal500 chapter) |
| December 2025 | The CGA says a group of operators whose second provisional licence period is ending may keep operating until it decides on their permanent licence (Curaçao Chronicle) |
Under the LOK, the CGA issues B2C licences to operators and B2B licences to suppliers. A full licence has no fixed end date as long as the holder stays compliant and pays its fees; before that, applicants can hold a provisional licence for up to six months, extendable once by six months. Licensees must have real local presence in Curaçao, appoint compliance and responsible-gaming officers, and follow a responsible gaming policy that includes age checks, self-exclusion and deposit limits. All of this is from the Legal500 chapter linked above.
What it means for you as a player
- There is now one regulator to check. A Curaçao licence should be traceable to the CGA, not to a master licence holder.
- Old numbers are a warning sign. An operator that only shows a /JAZ number is pointing at the system that the LOK replaced.
- Complaints have a formal route. Licensed operators must run a complaints process with escalation to an independent dispute resolution provider. See what to do if a casino won’t pay.
- Expect more KYC. Stricter AML rules mean more identity and source-of-funds checks, especially at withdrawal. See KYC vs no-KYC casinos.
- Some licences are still provisional as of October 2026. A provisional licence is a real licence, but status can change, so note the date you checked.
Step by step, per regulator
Start the same way everywhere: open the casino’s terms and conditions and write down the company name, its registration number, the licence number and the regulator. Then:
Curaçao (CGA)
- Click the Curaçao seal in the footer. It should open a certificate page on exactly cert.cga.cw, the CGA Portal - not a look-alike domain and not a static image.
- Check the certificate: company, licence number (current ones look like OGL/2024/…), granted date, status and the list of domains.
- Confirm the domain in your address bar is on that list, and the company matches the terms.
When we checked on 27 October 2026, the certificate pages for the casinos we looked at opened normally, while the main cga.cw site showed a bot-check page to automated requests. In a normal browser, wait for the check to pass.
Anjouan
Anjouan licence numbers in casino terms look like ALSI-… . The regulator’s licence register on anjouangaming.com lists each licensee with its number, status, expiry date and domains; search that page for the casino’s domain and compare the company with the terms. Look-alike validation pages exist, so check where a seal actually leads: step by step in our Anjouan licence check.
Kahnawake (KGC)
The Kahnawake Gaming Commission publishes its permit holders list with operator names and URLs. Search it for the domain, not just the brand. Operators should hold a Client Provider Authorization; an Interactive Gaming Licence is held by the hosting facility. When we read it in October 2026, the list said it was last updated on 28 September 2023, so an absent new domain is a question to ask, not proof of fraud.
Malta (MGA)
MGA numbers look like MGA/B2C/…. Type the MGA address yourself, open its licensee register and search for the company or number; check that the licence is active and the domain is listed. The MGA site refused our automated requests (HTTP 403), so this check has to be done in a browser.
Red flags
- The seal is an image with no link, or links to a domain that is not the regulator’s.
- The company or number on the certificate differs from the terms and conditions.
- The domain you are on is not in the certificate’s domain list.
- Only an old-style Curaçao /JAZ sub-licence number, or the old regulator name with no CGA certificate. An outdated name alone is weaker evidence: some licensed casinos still use “Gaming Control Board” in their own pages.
- Status shows anything other than active, or the certificate has no date.
- The terms name a different company in each section, or no company at all.
What a licence does not tell you
A licence does not guarantee fast withdrawals, fair bonus terms or a fair game. For those, look at real withdrawal times, read the wagering terms, and verify a round yourself where the casino offers provably fair games. Our methodology explains how licence status fits into our profiles.
FAQ
Is a Curaçao licence number like 8048/JAZ still valid?
Numbers in that style were sub-licences issued under one of the old master licences. Under the new law operators need their own licence from the Curaçao Gaming Authority, and a sub-licence only lived as long as its master licence. Treat a casino that shows only an old-style number as unverified until you find it in the CGA portal.
What does OGL in a Curaçao licence number mean?
Current Curaçao licence numbers we saw in casino terms in October 2026 have the form OGL/2024/... and open a certificate page on cert.cga.cw. The certificate names the company, the number, the status and the domains covered. The domain you are using must be on that list.
Does a valid licence mean the casino will pay me?
No. It means a regulator has the operator on record and can receive complaints about it. Withdrawal speed, bonus fairness and how strictly terms are enforced vary a lot between licensed casinos. A licence is a minimum check, not a quality rating.
The regulator’s website will not load for me. What now?
Some regulator sites show a bot-check page or refuse automated requests. Open them in a normal browser, wait for the check to finish, and type the address yourself rather than following a link from the casino. If you still cannot confirm the licence, treat it as unconfirmed, not as fine.
Related guides
18+. Gambling involves risk of loss. Help and self-exclusion.