Curaçao’s 2026 LOK Reform Explained: How to Verify a Casino License in Two Minutes

Short answer: on December 24, 2024, Curaçao replaced its 30-year-old “master license” system with the Landsverordening op de Kansspelen (LOK), a national ordinance under which every online casino must hold its own license issued directly by the Curaçao Gaming Authority. For players the change is simple: a casino that still shows only an old sub-license number such as 8048/JAZ or 1668/JAZ has not completed the transition, while a licensed casino now displays a number in the format OGL/2024/xxx/xxxx that you can look up in the regulator’s public register. This guide explains what changed, how to check a license in two minutes, and which of the sites we review passed.

What was wrong with the old Curaçao system?

Under the old model four master license holders (the numbers 1668/JAZ, 8048/JAZ, 5536/JAZ and 365/JAZ appeared in thousands of casino footers) sold sub-licenses to operators with almost no vetting, and the government had no register of who was actually running what. A “Curaçao license” therefore told you very little: it meant the operator had paid a master license holder, not that a regulator had checked its owners, its funds or its complaint handling. That is the main reason offshore casinos had a reputation problem and why our own process never trusted the license alone.

What does the LOK change for players?

The LOK created the Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA, the former Gaming Control Board) as the single licensing body and made direct licensing mandatory. According to the CGA’s own guidance and the secondary sources that tracked the rollout, the old sub-licenses lost validity from January 1, 2025, the transitional “orange” seals expired on October 15, 2025, and from January 1, 2026 licensees must have a physical presence on the island. Licenses are now numbered OGL/YYYY/xxx/xxxx and listed in a public register on cga.cw. One thing the reform does not do: the CGA states that it does not handle individual player complaints, so your first line of dispute is still the operator, and complaints alleging a regulatory breach go to the CGA’s compliance team by email.

How do you check a Curaçao license in two minutes?

Open the casino’s footer and look for the licensing sentence: it should name the operating company, the Curaçao Gaming Authority and a number in the OGL format. Copy the number into the CGA register at cga.cw. Then compare the company name in the register with the one in the casino’s terms and conditions; a mismatch is a warning sign. Two examples from the sites we review: Slots.lv and Café Casino both state “Arbol Media B.V., licensed by the Curaçao Gaming Authority, license OGL/2024/670/0711.” A footer that shows only a clickable “8048/JAZ” seal, or no number at all, fails this check.

Which of the sites we review hold a valid CGA license?

Slots.lv and Café Casino display the OGL/2024/670/0711 license and pass. Bovada, BetUS and Ignition are not Curaçao-licensed at all any more; they moved to the Union of the Comoros (Ignition under the Anjouan Gaming Board), a separate jurisdiction with its own caveats, including the Comoros government’s 2026 warning that some Anjouan licenses circulating online are fake. 22Bet, which still cites the legacy 8048/JAZ sub-license, is an example of a brand that did not complete the transition and is one reason it no longer appears at the top of our gambling site reviews. Super Slots publishes no license at all. Our full method is on the how we determine legitimacy page, and the casinos that failed it are on the blacklist.

Does a CGA license make a casino safe?

Safer, not safe. The reform removes the anonymous sub-licensing that let rogue operators hide, and a public register means a license claim can be verified. It does not guarantee payouts, and the CGA will not arbitrate your dispute. That is why every rating we publish still starts with a real deposit and ends with a paid withdrawal.

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Frequently asked questions

When did the Curaçao LOK take effect?

December 24, 2024, according to the Curaçao Gaming Authority. Old sub-licenses lost validity from January 1, 2025, transitional seals expired on October 15, 2025, and local-presence rules applied from January 1, 2026.

What does a valid Curaçao license number look like?

OGL/YYYY/xxx/xxxx, for example OGL/2024/670/0711 (Arbol Media B.V., the operator of Slots.lv and Café Casino). Numbers ending in /JAZ are legacy master-license sub-licenses.

Can I complain to the Curaçao Gaming Authority about a casino?

The CGA says it does not handle individual complaints against operators. Complaints alleging a breach of the rules can be emailed to its compliance team; for a payout dispute, start with the operator and keep a written record.

Is a Curaçao license better than an Anjouan or Comoros license?

Since the LOK, a CGA license is verifiable in a public register, which Anjouan licenses are not, and the Comoros government has warned about fake Anjouan permits. Neither replaces a state license or a withdrawal test.

Sources: Curaçao Gaming Authority, “Online Gaming” regulation page and public license register (cga.cw); Zitadelle AG and Legarithm summaries of the LOK transition timeline (2026); Comoros government warning on fraudulent Anjouan licenses reported by FocusGN (2026); operator footers of slots.lv, cafecasino.lv, bovada.lv, ignitioncasino.eu and 22bet checked September 22, 2026.