Curaçao’s gambling sector continues to attract scrutiny from European authorities, with questions about whether the island’s new regulatory framework will satisfy demands for greater transparency and anti-money laundering controls.
The European Union and the Netherlands have long criticized Curaçao for allowing thousands of offshore betting sites to operate with limited supervision. A 2020 Financial Action Task Force (FATF) review warned that the island’s licensing regime made it a potential hub for money laundering and organized crime.
Although the new Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA) promises independent oversight, skeptics highlight that Curaçao still relies heavily on gambling revenues, creating potential conflicts of interest. “The challenge will be to show the reforms are not just cosmetic, but actually enforceable,” the report notes.
