How to Check an Online Casino has a Valid Curacao Licence

Making sure an online casino is licensed is vital if you want to ensure you’re playing on a safe and regulated platform. For sites claiming to be licensed by the Curacao Gaming Control Board (CGCB) and the Curacao Gaming Authority (CGA), there are two ways to do this. You can either click the CGCB logo located at the bottom of a casino’s page or go directly to the Online Gaming Portal of the CGA website to manually find the licence to confirm it is legit and active.

Method 1: Using the Curacao Gaming Control Board Validator Seal

Although this is the easiest way to check you’re playing at an officially licensed Curacao online casino, we recommend using this method alongside the second one, just to be sure. When you’re at an online casino, you need to check whether there is a ‘clickable’ CGCB logo displayed on the website. Once clicked, it should take you to a validation page on the CGA website that confirms it is active.

• Step 1 – visit the online casinos: When you are at the casino, xcroll to the bottom of the page and look for the Curacao Gaming Control Board logo. It is usually next to other logos from RNG testing sites like BMM TestLabs or eCOGRA, payment method logos and links to the casino’s important pages. Sites operating under the CGCB/CGA framework are required to display this logo, so if it’s not there, there is a good chance the casino is operating without a licence.

• Step 2: Click the seal. It should open a new tab in your browser that loads a validator page detailing the licence information and the casino’s operator. It will also state if the licence is active.

• Step 3 (Important): If a logo is present, never just assume it means the casino is licensed. It is easy to upload a logo and pretend your site is officially licensed. Always click the logo to check, but also make sure the validator page is authentic as well. Check the URL in your browser’s address bar to make sure it starts with ‘https://cert.cga.cw/certificate?id=’. If it is different in any way, the seal and the validation page are likely fake. Do not sign up for the online casino, as it is unlicensed.

• Step 4: Make sure the operating status says ‘Active’. The page will also display the operator’s name, the licence number and the company’s Curacao business registration number. If the status is anything other than ‘Active’, do not sign up, deposit or play at the casino.

Method 2: Checking the Licence Register

Some casinos might not display the logo in their footer even if they’re supposed to. However, it does not necessarily mean a platform is not licensed if you cannot find the Curacao Gaming Control Board logo. Just to make sure, you should use the alternative way to establish if it holds a valid licence. It takes a bit longer than the other one, but it could save you from playing on an unlicensed platform.

Step 1: Find The Name of The Casino’s Operator

You will find the operator in the casino footer or in the T&Cs.

At the bottom of a casino’s page, you should find information about its operating company. The section should look something like the image we’ve provided and will give the company name, address and information about the licence the operator claims to hold. One thing to note is that the operator name is usually different from the casino name. If you do not see this information, it is a major red flag. However, you may find it in the site’s terms and conditions.

Step 2: Go to the Licence Register on the Curacao Gaming Authority Website

You can visit the page here – Curacao Gaming Control Board

Once there, you need to click into the ‘Licence Register’ and then ‘Online Gaming Licenses’. It will take you to a PDF file that lists all the operators currently licensed by the CGCB/CGA. You will need to either search through the list manually, looking for the licence number or company name, or, if on a computer, use the ‘CTRL + F’ key combination to bring up a search bar you can use to find the company name.

Step 3: Find the Operating Company and Check the Validity of the Licensing

Remember the company name from Step 1

Assuming you’ve found the company using our instructions in Step 2, you now need to establish the validity of the licence in question. The PDF details the licence number, what type of licence it is (B2C or B2B), the company registration number, and the issue and expiration dates of the licence. If the current date is before the expiration date, then the licence is valid and active.

You may see information in the final section stating the licence is under assessment. It basically means the platform is currently in the process of renewing the licence. Also, if you scroll to the bottom of the PDF file, you’ll also see the operators that have had their licenses revoked, either by request or by the CGCB/CGA.

How to Spot a Fake Curacao Gaming Licence

Fake licenses and licensing logos are more common than you might think. Shady or scam online casinos and sportsbooks will often display fake logos and even set up replica validation pages, all to make it look like they’re an officially licensed platform. They know that most savvy players will always check to see what licensing a site is covered by. This is why we strongly suggest you never just take a CGCB/CGA logo as proof of licensing alone and follow our steps above.

Here are some warning signs to look out for:

• The validator URL is wrong: If the validator URL does not start with ‘https://cert.cga.cw/certificate?id=’, the page is not authentic. It means the site is using a fake logo and a fake validator page in the hope of duping players.

• The logo is an image with no clickable link: The CGCB and CGA require licensees to make their logos clickable links that take people to an official validator page. If you cannot click the seal, the licence could be fake. Double-check using our second method in this guide.

• The validator page opens, but the status is not Active: If the validator page does not show the licence as active, the casino is not licensed. It might have been previously, but it isn’t at the time of viewing. Do not play on the platform until the licensing status shows ‘Active’.

• The operating company does not appear in the licence register: If the PDF file on the Curacao Gaming Authority website does not list the company claiming to own the casino, leave the casino. It is not licensed or regulated by the CGCB/CGA.

• The licence number does not match: If the number shown on the casino’s website differs from the number in the official register under that operator’s name, something is wrong. Either get confirmation from the CGA that the licence is official, or the discrepancy is due to a clerical error

Curaçao Casinos & Licence Guide