The Curaçao licence is the most common operating licence among crypto casinos. With the reform that took effect in 2024 the island moved to a direct licensing system: licences are issued by the Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA) and the old master-licence model, in which hundreds of casinos operated under the sub-licences of a few large permits and responsibility dissolved into nothing, has been closed.
What the reform changed. The CGA requires every operator to hold its own licence, a local presence and a complaints-handling procedure. The biggest practical difference for a player is that a complaint now has an official addressee — previously a dispute mostly ended with the casino's own support.
What the licence gives:
- a public register where the validity of a permit can be checked;
- a mandatory dispute channel and response deadlines;
- AML minimums and requirements on game fairness and player protection.
What it does not give: Estonian consumer protection, a deposit guarantee or a fast procedure. Resolving a complaint can take months and the outcome is not enforceable in the same way as a domestic decision. The licence is a risk reducer, not insurance.
What to check:
- find the licence number in the casino's footer and check it in the register — a mere logo or image means nothing;
- see whether the company name in the register matches the one you are sending money to;
- check whether the terms state the complaints procedure and its deadlines.
Alongside Curaçao you will also meet other cheaper jurisdictions whose requirements are looser. That does not automatically make a casino bad, but it belongs in your risk assessment. Which permit each operator works under is stated in its review in the ranking; what a foreign licence really means for an Estonian player is summarised on the responsible gambling page.
The Estonian player's view: a Curaçao licence is not an Estonian licence
Offering gambling in Estonia requires an Estonian activity and organiser licence. The Tax and Customs Board blocks access to the websites of operators whose service is available in Estonia but who have no such licence. The board itself notes that it has no information about the reliability of playing on such sites and cannot help the player if problems arise. See the Tax and Customs Board page on blocked gambling websites. A Curaçao licence therefore grants permission to operate outside Estonia, not Estonian player protection. For the tax side see crypto asset taxation.
What the 2024 reform actually changed
According to the CGA itself, on 24 December 2024 a new gaming law (Landsverordening op de kansspelen, LOK) came into force, replacing the earlier offshore gaming ordinance, see the CGA online gaming page. For anti-money-laundering requirements see AML. The details of the reform and what it means for the player are in the post Curaçao CGA licence: what changed.
How to verify a licence step by step
- Find the licence number and the name of the licence-holding company in the casino footer.
- Open the CGA licence register and look up the name and number. The register is an overview (PDF) and CGA itself says it does not guarantee a licence is still valid, so also read the public warnings.
- Check that the company name matches the one named in the terms.
- Look at the CGA public warnings.
If a dispute arises
Write to the casino support and ask for a written reply, then turn to the complaints department, and keep chat logs and transaction IDs. The Estonian self-exclusion register HAMPI may not apply to a foreign operator, see limits when HAMPI does not apply. For the complaints procedure see the complaints page. What an Estonian licence means for the player is explained by the Estonian gambling licence, and the general licence check procedure by how to verify an online casino licence.