Best Online Casinos with Curacao Gaming License

Curacao has become a popular choice for online casino operators for many reasons. This is especially true for start-up companies and entrepreneurs looking to enter the online gaming market, where the barrier to entry is the least. Currently, we estimate that approximately 450 – 500 online gambling operators are running iGaming websites of various scales and types under a Curacao sublicense.

Curacao is widely regarded as the most accessible jurisdiction for obtaining a gaming license. The application process for a Curacao sublicense is the least cumbersome compared to other popular license issuers, such as the UK Gambling Commission. It is not only easier to apply for the Curacao license, but the processing time is also the fastest by a long mile. In addition, varying license options fit all kinds of requirements and budgets. This allows new and experienced operators to enter the market at the most affordable rates and record times.

Another major advantage of the Curacao sublicense, as far as the operator is concerned, is that it is a one size fits all license that covers all types of online gambling – be it casino games, sports betting, lottery games, etc.

Lastly, companies operating iGaming websites under a Curacao license are exempt from paying any tax, provided all income is sourced from outside the island country of Curacao.

The reasons why iGaming operators apply for a Curacao sublicense are pretty obvious, given the many advantages and the minimal bureaucracy involved. However, what does it mean for online casino players? How safe, fair, and trustworthy are Curacao-licensed websites? Should you play at an online casino licensed by the jurisdiction of Curacao?  These are exactly the questions we answer and the concerns we put to bed in this article.

Curacao became one of the first jurisdictions in the world to regulate the online gambling industry when it drafted and passed initial iGaming related legislation in 1993. In the early 90s, the online casino industry was still in its infancy but bubbling with unimaginable potential.

The government of Curacao set up the Gambling License Authority a few years later, in 1996. This department of the Curacao government was responsible for processing license applications and issuing licenses accordingly. They would also be in charge of supervision and oversight of the industry and its evolving trends. After the first Curacao gaming license was issued, word got out, and applications flooded. To ensure that licenses were only issued to applicants that fit the profile (in terms of adherence to the regulatory framework and code of conduct), the Curacao Internet Gaming Association was established in 2001. 

The Curacao Ministry of Justice issued four master licenses initially, and only these four to date. The master license holders have the privilege of issuing sublicenses to other operators. Holders of the sublicense are entitled to all the same privileges except that they cannot issue further licenses. Anyone wishing to obtain a Curacao.

This association is at the forefront of license issuers across the global iGaming industry. This is mainly due to the expedited application processing, low fees, zero tax rates, and the overall corporate-friendly business environment that prevails in Curacao. The zero tax rates offered are perfectly legal and in compliance with the EU Code of Conduct against harmful tax practices.

Reliability:

The online casino market is massive and growing exponentially by the day. There are thousands of online casino websites that will take your money and let you play real money games like slots, blackjack, roulette, etc. Many of these casinos are completely unregulated and unlicensed. Playing at such online casinos is always a risk. There is a high chance that the casino will make excuses to pay you your winnings once you’ve made a real money deposit. There have been several instances of unregulated casinos taking players’ money and then closing their accounts or going offline altogether. This is why playing at a licensed online casino is much safer.

When you visit an online casino website, the footer section of the home page will usually have details regarding the license issuer and license number. Players can even independently verify the validity and legitimacy of the license using this data. When an online casino is licensed, it must operate under certain rules and guidelines established by the licensing authority. Therefore, it is a much safer and more reliable environment for players.

Great Gaming Variety:

The fact that the Curacao gaming license is a one-size-fits-all license that facilitates all types of games of chance is great for both players and the casino operator. For the operator, it entails that they don’t need to get additional approvals and pay extra for each game category they onboard or already offer on their platform.

With a single Curacao sublicense, the operator can offer casino games like slots, table games, live dealer games, poker, etc., sports betting on all types of popular and niche sports from around the world, and even lottery games, bingo games, and scratch card games.

This is great news for players too, since they can sign up with one Curacao licensed casino and get access to numerous games and game categories under a single umbrella. This is especially advantageous to players that like to indulge in both sports betting and casino gaming since they can now find both options at many iGaming websites licensed in Curacao.

Less Restricted Countries: 

Online casino laws can be highly confusing for individual players to comprehend and deal with. Depending on where a player is located, the local laws in that jurisdiction pertaining to online gambling can be vastly different from another country or even the very next state. To add to the confusion, some jurisdictions discriminate against different forms of gambling. For example, horse race betting and sports betting could be legal, but casino games may be outlawed.

When online casino operators face changing laws that are practically challenging to comply with from a certain state or country, they list the area as a restricted territory within their terms and conditions. They do not accept players based in those regions.

It is frustrating for players looking forward to playing at a certain iGaming website and claiming an ongoing offer/bonus to realize they are not accepted at the casino. Online casinos with a Curacao license can accept players from all countries as long as they are not specifically prohibited by the sublicense agreement. Only a few players from the following countries are generally not accepted at Curacao licensed casinos – Curacao itself, Belize, UK, USA, Germany, and Netherlands.

Crypto-Friendly Casinos: 

Many of the modern-day Curacao licensed online casinos are crypto friendly. If you prefer using cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Litecoin or Bitcoin cash for online gambling purposes, you are sure to find plenty of Curacao licensed casinos that support these payment methods for deposits and withdrawals.

Online casinos are known for lucrative bonuses and promotions. To compete with each other for market share and to attract new users to sign up, online casinos offer great deals for both new and existing players. These usually come as a welcome bonus for newly registered members. New players are incentivized to make their initial few deposits at the casino. Some Curacao licensed casinos even offer no deposit bonuses where the player is rewarded simply for successfully opening an account at the casino, with no deposit required.

Casino operators that provide services courtesy of a Curacao sublicense also offer weekly bonuses, seasonal promotions, a VIP club, and even tournaments amongst members to retain their existing players and encourage them to stay active on the platform. VIP clubs are usually designed to reward players for their gameplay incrementally – the more you play, the more benefits you enjoy. Tournaments are becoming popular at Curacao licensed casinos in recent years. These tournaments are usually leaderboard-style weekly races where players who secure some top positions are rewarded with cash prizes from a pooled cash jackpot.

Below, we have shortlisted some of the best bang-for-buck bonuses and promotions that you can claim today at these Curacao licensed online casinos:

Online Slots and Scratch Cards:

Slot games almost always constitute the largest game library at any Curacao licensed online casino. Slots are the most popular category of games, and players can’t seem to get enough of them. They come in different reel formats; some are 3-reel slots, also referred to as classic slots, and there are also 5–reel slots, which are the most popular type today. A few slots may even feature 6 – reels or more. They are easy to play since the symbols and reels get most players to understand the concept of winning lines through matching symbols intuitively.

Right now, some of the best slot game developers in the online casino market include NetEnt, Games Global, BetSoft, Red Tiger Gaming, Quickspin, Playtech, Play’n GO, etc. You’ll find slot games from these providers and many more on our list of recommended Curacao online casinos. Slots have a house edge slightly higher than most casino table games, the return to player percentage of a slot game can vary from one game to another, but generally, it is between the range of 93-98%. Any slot game with 96% or higher RTP is considered high paying.

Scratch card games are not as popular as slot games and thus aren’t found in the same abundance. Scratch card games are featured at a select few Curacao licensed casinos. These are usually categorized as instant win games; like slots, they are very easy to play. You scratch the card virtually to reveal your prize if any.

Online Sports Betting:

Gone are the days when you had to visit a local betting parlor to take a wager on your favorite team or athlete. You don’t even have to call in your bets anymore. You can place your bets online from a PC or mobile within a few seconds.

Online gambling websites that have acquired a Curacao license can offer online casino gaming and legally offer sports betting under the same license, with no additional approvals or permissions required. Therefore, it is common to find Curacao licensed iGaming sites with casino and sportsbook sections under one domain. This is the perfect solution for players who like to do both.

Modern online sportsbooks have come a long way and have plenty of new sports betting options. Not only will you be able to bet on popular sports like football, rugby, cricket, tennis, basketball, baseball, and many less popular sports as well, but now you also have the option of live betting, where you can place bets on a game or fixture that is already underway. Additionally, Curacao sportsbooks even offer to bet on e-Sports like FIFA, Counterstrike, League of Legends, Dota 2, etc.

Online Poker and Table Games:

No casino is complete without classic casino table games like blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and poker. Our top Curacao licensed online casinos offer a huge range of table games. Players who understand basic card game strategies will have a sense of control over these games and its outcome. Pair this with the fact that table games have some of the lowest house edges, and these games could be the perfect winning formula for making consistent money.

Curacao licensed casinos may also offer live table games, basically the next generation of online casino gaming. When you play live dealer games, you receive real-time high-definition video streams of a human dealer onto your screen and you can interact and play at the table just like you would if you were at an actual land-based casino. Some of the leaders in terms of live dealer game providers are Evolution Gaming, Pragmatic Play, and Ezugi.

Online Lotteries:

Although not too popular at online casinos, it is not uncommon to find that you can buy tickets to the world’s best lotteries at online casino websites. This is especially true of Curacao licensed casinos since the license allows operators to offer lottery games without additional approvals or permissions. So, no matter where you are located, you can buy lottery tickets to some of the biggest lotteries around the world, such as US Powerball, Mega Millions, Euro Millions, Italy SuperEnalotto, and more from your Curacao online casino website.

Visa and Mastercard:

Bank cards like Visa and Mastercard credit or debit cards are still the most popular way to make online payments, which also applies to online casino payments. The Curacao casinos we’ve recommended in the list above accept credit cards; some even do debit cards. Paying with a card is easy; once you visit the casino's cashier section, you will find the Visa or Mastercard logo; you can then enter your card number, expiration date, security code, and deposit amount and proceed to authorize the transactions. Credit card deposits are processed instantly, and the funds are available as balances within moments.

E-wallets:

Unfortunately, in the pretense of moral high ground, some banks decline transactions requested from a merchant categorized as an online gambling operator. If you have an account with such a bank, you may find that your online casino payments keep declining even though you have a sufficient balance. An alternative payment method, such as an E-wallet, is the best workaround for this issue.

There are various internationally available E-wallets that you can sign up with, such as PayPal, Neteller, Skrill, etc. These are electronic wallets that you can fund using your credit card, debit card, or other payment options and then use the E-wallet to make deposits and claim withdrawals from and to your Curacao casino account. E–wallet deposits are processed instantly, and withdrawals are generally processed within 24-48 hours after approval.

Crypto-currencies:

Crypto-currencies are touted as the currency of the future. Some of the most popular crypto coins, such as Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, and Tether, are already widely accepted at several top Curacao casinos. To use cryptocurrencies for payments to an online casino, you will first need to sign up and create a crypto wallet. A crypto wallet is like an e-wallet, but it will hold cryptocurrencies instead of fiat currencies. Once you have a crypto wallet loaded with cryptocurrency that you have purchased, you can copy the Curacao casinos crypto wallet public address from the casino website's cashier page and make payments to that link, and the deposit will be reflected instantly. Some casinos also support cash-outs to crypto wallets.

Prepaid Cards:

Some players who do not wish to use their credit card or debit card at online casinos or for any online gambling activity for privacy and security reasons can always turn to prepaid cards as a good alternative. You can load a prepaid card with Rands and then pay using the prepaid card at Curacao licensed online casinos. These cards don’t necessarily have to be physical cards. They can be virtual cards where you are just issued a card number and other card details which you can use for payment. Do not divulge these details to anyone else. Some popular prepaid card services for online casino purposes are Entropay, Paysafecard, etc.

Wire Transfers:

Wire transfers are a tested, secure, proven banking option with many applications, including online casino gaming. The drawback to using wire transfers is that the processing time for wire transfer withdrawals is generally in the range of 5-7 business days, which is higher than other withdrawal methods. Also, many casinos may not offer wire transfers as a viable deposit option, and you may only have this option for cashing out. However, there are many pros to using wire transfers, such as low transaction fees, highly secure, and availability at most modern online casinos.

EasyEFT:

This is one of the convenient banking methods for South African players to fund their casino accounts. The payment processor isn’t an e-wallet or credit card but merely an intermediary between you and the online casino. You must connect the service to your bank account when making a deposit or cash out winnings from your Curacao online casino account.

Player Protection:

Licensed online casinos are held to a high degree of fairness, security, and player protection. Before a potential online casino operator is issued a Curacao sublicense, they must adhere to certain standards of player data protection. Therefore, any casino with a valid Curacao sublicense will have certain player data protection measures. This includes a privacy policy that is free of loopholes and primarily serves to prevent the sale of a player’s data to data mining companies, the use of secure socket layer encryption to protect player data from cyber-attacks, and such casinos will only divulge player data when necessary to third party companies which are used to deliver services to the player. Casinos may also be required to divulge player data to law enforcement agencies if and when they have all relevant legal permits to request the same.

Fair Gaming:

How can a player be sure that any game they play at an online casino is not rigged? It seems probable that games could be rigged, and the players will have no clue if so. Afterall, the machine is not mechanical/physical and is fully controlled by computer code. Curacao casinos use a provably fair methodology which puts this concern to bed. These casinos use a random number generator technology, a computer algorithm. Whenever the algorithm is triggered, it produces a random, unpredictable number. This number is then used to determine the outcome of every round of every game played on the platform.

Furthermore, the algorithm is audited and certified by an independent third-party auditing and testing company that has no conflict of interest in the economic welfare of the casino operator. This way, players can rest assured that they are playing fair and random games, just as they would at a land-based casino.

Anti-Fraud Policies:

Curacao casinos implement anti-money laundering and anti-fraud policies on their websites, protecting them and their players. Suppose you have played at a licensed online casino. In that case, you may have requested documentation to prove your identity and address before money can be paid out to you, which is part of their anti-fraud/prevention of money laundering (PMLA) policy. These casinos also use artificial intelligence to identify potentially fraudulent accounts that may engage in bonus abuse, account takeover, unfair chargebacks, etc. Per the casino terms and conditions, such accounts can be suspended, and all winnings held within the account may be forfeited.

Operator Responsibilities:

Any Curacao licensed casino operator is responsible for ensuring that their players are protected from gambling addiction to the best of the operators’ abilities. This mandates that the casino offers certain responsible gambling features and professional support. It is common to find features such as customizable loss limits, deposit limits, session time reminders, self-exclusion, etc., at Curacao casinos. Such tools help the player stay in control of their gambling. You may also come across self-assessment questionnaires that you can answer to get an idea of the level of risk of you developing a gambling problem or addiction. Curacao licensed operators will also offer links and contact information to various professional gambling de-addiction services such as Gamblers Anonymous, Gambling Therapy, GamCare, etc.

There are hundreds of online casinos that operate under a Curacao sublicense. All sublicenses are issued by one of four master license holders. The Curacao license has become the most popular in recent years for international online gambling operations because of its affordability, quick processing time, and low barrier to entry.

Curacao licensed casinos are not upheld to the same standards and measures as UK-licensed casinos. However, they are still expected to offer reasonable security, fairness, and player protection standards. Having said that, not all Curacao licensed casinos are the same, some are of superior quality than others, and if you are looking for the best Curacao casinos to play with, we would suggest choosing from our list of recommendations.