Curaçao & Netherlands Antilles Online Casino License

Every business needs to be formalized otherwise it will be considered as illegal and will be punishable by law of the country where such activity is carried out. Before creating a casino, participants of gambling business should take this fact into account and obtain a casino license.

Online Casino Market offers to buy Curacao online gambling license. Specialists of the company have been working with many offshore jurisdictions and countries for a very long time and they will be glad to contact them to resolve your issue. Besides, Online Casino Market can help owners of a gambling business to create a casino, and the company will deal with all matters connected with the process of its organization and outfitting. It is also possible just to buy turnkey casino from this brand, which can be designed by professionals and is ready for use.

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Today casino licensing takes place in those countries where gambling is legal. And there are quite a lot of such countries all around the world. Jurisdictions, which regulate gambling, enable business owners to register their companies not in their places of residence.

Substance of the matter is that in many countries gambling is still prohibited. However, there is a global network, which allows such establishments as online casinos to exist. Casino owners only need to buy an online gambling license abroad.

Today there are many offshore countries where jurisdictions, which deal with the casino licensing, work very successfully. These countries allow gambling for non-residents, although it is often required to have one of the casino owners registered in the country where the casino license was issued.

Offshore zones have loyal legislation and low taxes, which provides owners of a gambling establishment with a calm atmosphere to run their business. In order to obtain an online gambling license the licensee should meet all requirements of the jurisdiction, and these requirements can be very different. 

About Gambling on the Island of Curacao

Today the island of Curacao is one of the most popular offshore zones. Its Regulatory Commission offers casino licensing on favorable conditions. 

The island Curacao is an autonomous state, which is a part of the Antilles, and it is flown round by the Caribbean Sea. In this region there are relatively stable economical and political terms and conditions for the conduct of business activities in the international format. This state of things is successfully used by various companies.

Casino licensing in Curacao has a lot of advantages, which make businessmen to choose this jurisdiction. The online gambling license is issued by the Ministry of Justice of the island.

Features of the fiscal policy in Curacao:

1. Owners of gambling establishments pay a flat rate tax on income in an amount of 2%.
2. Tax rates, sales and import duties are not subject to any taxes.
3. There is no value-added tax.
4. Reports to tax authorities as well as financial reports are submitted annually.
5. Dividends can be removed from accounts in unlimited amounts.

As you can see, the terms of conduct a gambling business are very profitable and simple.

Curacao Online Casino License

The main advantage of obtaining a casino license in this jurisdiction is the fact that it is issued not to each kind of your business activity separately, but to all activities related to gambling: entertainment clubs, online casinos, bookmakers, poker rooms, betting houses and so on.

Apart from the online gambling license you can also purchase a sub-license – when the casino owner, domiciled on the island, gives a license to another person.

There are also several private companies in Curacao, which are engaged in the casino licensing. Their services relate to absolutely all matters connected with gambling. They guarantee a preparation of documents in a short space of time, and they will do all the work on the obtaining a casino license on the island.

The Advantages of the Curacao Online Gambling License

• Acquisition of an official legal standing;
• an assignment of TIN in the EU system;
• an opportunity to become a partner of the European Bank;
• a guarantee of the high quality of gaming equipment;
• a high efficiency of obtaining a Curacao online casino license (2-6 weeks);
• a minimum amount of documents and a simplicity of the process;
• a strengthening of companies’ reputation because of the reliability of this jurisdiction;
• an amount of income tax is the lowest in comparison with other jurisdictions – 2%
• high-quality gaming software;
• loyal gambling legislation;
• an ability to conduct business activity remotely and in the international format without opening an office in Curacao.

To obtain a casino license you will need to follow specific operating procedures. Thus, it is worth specifying the documents, which you are going to send to the Gambling Commission.

So, here is the list of documents to be submitted to the jurisdiction of Curacao in order to obtain an online gambling license:

• copies or scans of passports of founders of the company;
• a copy of the Articles of Association;
• letters from banks (notarized), indicating the presence of banking accounts and a certain amount of money on them;
• copies of the documents on the payment of public utility bills for the last three months, confirming the existence of a legal address;
• a document certifying the absence of a criminal conviction in the past three months;
• data on the quality of casino software;
• a copy of the business plan with information about costs and future income;
• documents confirming the presence of a casino website, a domain name and that they belong to a concrete company (a legal entity);
• an application for a casino license.

Types of Gambling Licenses You Can Receive in Curacao

A direct online gambling license is issued subject to the existence of registered services, the presence of which the business owner should prove to the Commission. It is also necessary to specify the company’s divisions managed by partners, who work under the name of this operator, and he is responsible for their actions.

Sublicense is issued to the partner who wishes to obtain a casino license from the provider (operator, supplier, etc.), which already has such gambling license. The partner needs to contact this operator, and then he should meet all the requirements of the Curacao jurisdiction. A bill issued by the Commission is received by the operator and needs to be sent to his partner. It is worth noting that the licensee has a right to domicile his company in another jurisdiction.

Casino license. Requirements of Curacao

• Each applicant must be registered as a legal entity in the Chamber of Commerce;
• at least one of the company’s founders must be a resident of the islands of the Netherlands Antilles;
• the activity of the company must comply with requirements of identification and legal expertise;
• it is necessary to provide the description of every casino game (who is its designer, for whom it was created, its storyline etc.);
• servers of the company (physical ones) must be situated in the territory of Curacao;
• it is necessary to provide information that the company can provide each player, who has deposited funds, with a technical support;
• casino software, as any gaming equipment, need to be audited and there should be certificates, which can confirm that;
• the Curacao jurisdiction refuses to license minors of all countries (licensees should be at least 18 years old).

It is also worth noting that if a business owner has already filed an application for obtaining an online gambling license, the jurisdiction is ready to help with an advice. This service costs $6 000.

The casino licensing itself may consist of different components, this is why each package has its own value (from $ 11 500 to $ 50 000).

Today the Curacao online casino license costs $ 34 000. This includes registration services, the support of the company during a one year period, contributions to the E-Gaming, the Chamber of Commerce and others.

Changes in the Rules for Issuing Licences in 2023

Curacao Licence: Current Conditions in 2024 (NOOGH)

Company registration in Curacao (NOOGH)

€9 000

Cost of the business registration

The cost includes:

• registration fee (as well as notary expenses);
• commission of the Central Bank;
• FIU registration;
• Chamber of Commerce fee.

Documents that are necessary for company registration:

• verified copy of the UBO passport;
• certified utility bill (not older than 3 months);
• letter of recommendation from the bank;
• CV;
• certificate of no criminal record;
• the properly signed enclosed acceptance form.

Acquisition of a Gambling Permit (NOOGH)

€12 500

The cost of support for obtaining a licence (registration on the portal)

3-4 months

Approximate time frame

• At the moment, the new LOK legislation has not been adopted in Curacao, and therefore, all licences are issued in accordance with NOOGH.
• The NOOGH legislation does not separate B2B and B2C licences and only offers operational permits without any division into categories (before the LOK comes into force).
• Fees according to the current legislation — NOOGH.

0

Application fee

€18 500

Annual fee (charged when the certificate is granted)

0%

Guaranteed pension trust tax

€3 600

Monthly licence fee

2 domains

Domains (it is possible to add up to 40 mirrors)

€61 700

Total annual licence fee (state duty)

€121 500

Total expenditures for the first year

The updating of the normative framework began in 2021. The process has entered the final stage recently. Finance Minister Javier Silvania noted at the annual ICE summit in London that the amendments would be adopted in the third quarter of 2023.

Why the government is changing licensing rules:

1. The refinement of the law following the realities of the gambling market. Curacao is considered one of the most liberal jurisdictions. Nevertheless, the offshore zone has questions from international control bodies. They apply to AML and IFC policies (combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism), which are planned to be introduced into the updated licensing system.
2. Streamlining cryptocurrency settlements. Curacao is the first jurisdiction to issue a licence for a Bitcoin casino. In 2017, a company from Lithuania received a permit. However, the digital asset market remains poorly regulated. In the new law, the authorities will allow exchange operations with cryptocurrency. However, the acceptance of bets and the payment of winnings in blockchain units is still in question.
3. The elimination of the monopoly on the issuance of sub-licences. Today, only four companies hold the Master Licence. They acquired the right to issue sub-licences in the late 1990s. Since then, the island's legislation has not changed much. The new law eliminates the old system and completely changes the scheme of working with documents.

The Ministry of Finance claims that after the adoption of the law, Curacao will remain attractive to investors and B2B partners. The authorities promise to speed up the application process, make the market more transparent, and provide preferential tax treatment for businesses.

At the moment, the Ministry of Finance has sent the final version of the law to the SER (Social and Economic Council). Then, the document must receive the resolution of the RVA (Advisory Council) and be approved at the session of the Curacao Parliament.

How Will the Gambling Field Change After the Adoption of the Bill?

Let us take a look at the main changes.

New Gambling Regulator

The government plans to reorganise the current licensing body and create a new department on its basis — Curacao Gaming Authority (CGA).

The competence of the CGA will include:

• the registration and prolongation of licences;
• monitoring the work of gambling activities’ organisers and software manufacturers;
• the issuance of recommendations and warnings;
• the imposition of penalties;
• the revocation of previously issued licences.

Changes in the Licence Structure

The bill will abolish the existing permitting scheme.

From the 4th quarter of 2023, entrepreneurs will be able to apply for two types of documents:

1. B2C licence. It is aimed at organisers of gambling and lottery activities, bookmakers, and owners of poker rooms. The licence is valid for 10 years with the right to renew it.
2. B2B licence. The document should be obtained by payment service providers, manufacturers of games and gambling systems. During the transitional period (18 months from the date of signing the law), receiving a licence is a recommendation. However, later it will become a prerequisite for working on the Curacao market and selling software to licenced B2C operators.

Updated Requirements for Applicants

The list of key changes includes:

The Cost of the Licence

The final price of the permit will be known after the signing and publication of the document.

The main expenses of the operator are as follows:

• €4,000 — registration fee;
• €12,000 — annual payment;
• €250 — for each online casino or bookmaker site.

At the annual SiGMA Malta conference, the Ministry of Finance representatives noted that the jurisdiction remains one of the most beneficial territories for launching iGaming projects and scaling businesses in the future.

Financial Transactions and Work with Cryptocurrencies

One of the key requirements for applicants is to connect to the goAML service. This international database stores information about financial offenders and companies that sponsor terrorism or persons under sanctions.

The connection to goAML will ensure the honest and transparent work of the operator and protect the project against money laundering and criminal income. The service will also improve the interaction with local banks and facilitate the integration of payment solutions into the casino system.

The new version of the law will regulate cryptocurrency exchange operations. As for accepting deposits and paying out prizes in blockchain units, this issue is still under consideration by the Ministry of Finance.

Business Taxation

Curacao has a loyal fiscal burden on businesses. After the adoption of the bill, this statement will remain in force.

The government is preparing several tax initiatives:

1. Investment Tax Incentive. This is a 10-year tax concession period. During this term, the entrepreneur is exempt from almost all fees. To qualify for privileges, the businessman must invest at least $3 million in the island's gambling industry and hire at least ten local residents.
2. Sales tax. The authorities want to exempt holders of B2B permits from paying sales tax. The initiative received a huge response from gaming software and payment solution providers. The lion's share of their income comes from the implementation of program products. The adoption of the bill will significantly reduce the burden on business and attract large capital to the jurisdiction.

Entrepreneurs can qualify to operate under expatriate mode. It is characterised by reduced tax rates on the wages of foreign specialists. The main condition is to fill the quota of 10 people in the state among the local population.

B2C and B2B Business Licensing Schemes

The stages of obtaining a permit depend on whether the entrepreneur worked in the Curacao market before the innovations.

The Re-Issuance of Documents for Existing Licensees

The government has provided an 18-month exemption period for entrepreneurs to switch from one licence to another.

Operators should:

• submit an electronic application to the Curacao Gaming Authority;
• pay the state fee;
• prepare and send a package of documents (declarations of investors, papers confirming the origin of funds, a copy of an office lease agreement, a business plan, a description of games, and certificates of conformity);
• be interviewed by a CGA officer;
• obtain a full-value (10 years) or a preliminary (6 months) licence.

Obtaining Permits by New Operators

The process can be conditionally divided into two stages:

1. Preliminary application. Along with it, the entrepreneur sends the initial package of documents — declarations of investors and the business plan of the iGaming project. Only after the approval of the application (it takes up to three months), the operator can register a legal entity, open a local office, and hire staff.
2. Technical interview. It is conducted by an officer of the Curacao Gaming Authority. In case of a positive outcome, the specialist approves the issuance of a licence. At this stage, it is necessary to send a technical description of the gambling resource’s components (platform, games, payment software, URLs, etc.) and the results of the system’s preliminary audit.

Jurisdiction on the Island of Curacao

We should also mention the advantages of the licensing authority in Curacao, which make the Gambling Commission of this country one of the best one in the world. To buy a casino license in this jurisdiction means to get a real bonus in the gambling business.

• First of all, it is an individual approach to each potential licensee, especially to those providers who operate multiple-user gaming networks, which require the placement and promotion of several brands.
• Among the other advantages we can name the offer of high-quality technical capabilities and compliance with international standards. But you need to remember that customers’ equipment must be located on the island of Curacao. This factor gives providers an opportunity to attract new partners and clients without focusing on technical issues.
• If you wish, the jurisdiction can provide you with such service as a turnkey casino and to integrate on your website all the most popular payment systems – Visa, Mastercard, Netteler and others.
• The undoubted advantage is also the fact that any business owner has an opportunity to obtain a casino license, regardless of where his is registered – the main thing is to meet all requirements of the Commission.

There is an important regulatory authority in Curacao, which regulates the activity of gambling throughout the state. This organization is called National Ordinance Offshore Games of Hazard, its requirements are obligatory to all licensees.

Summarizing all the above mentioned we need to say that a Curacao online gambling license gives many excellent opportunities to each licensee and makes their business profitable.

The casino licensing process can become quite difficult for a company, which has started to conduct its activity not a long time ago. Therefore, experts recommend a more simple solution: to buy a license from Online Casino Market, a company which will take all client’s worries upon itself. The company has special departments on relations with different jurisdictions, and its specialist will be glad to help you. Another valuable service of Online Casino Market is an offer to buy a turnkey casino, which is ready for launch.

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