THE HAGUE - Insufficient progress is being made with the reform of the gambling policy, leaving Curaçao vulnerable to rogue online gambling practices and potentially losing a lot of revenue. Undersecretary Raymond Knops writes this in the Implementation Report of the Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten country packages for the Second Quarter of 2021.
In the country package Curaçao that is part of the Caribbean Organ for Reform and Development (COHO), the island is coming up with a multi-stage plan for the modernization and reform of the offer of online games of chance. For example, new legislation and regulations must provide for an independent supervisor for online games of chance. It will issue and maintain licenses, if necessary, whereby the license can be revoked as a last resort.
There will also be a guarantee that providers of online games of chance from Curaçao will act in accordance with the laws and regulations of the countries they focus on.
Curaçao also takes measures to collect the taxes and license fees owed by licensees via the Curaçao Gaming Control Board and the Tax Authorities.
The plan that supervises the legislation and regulations has not yet been formally presented by Curaçao to the Netherlands for ratification. The deadline was 1 March and has thus been exceeded, according to Knops.