Curacao Licence: New Opportunities for Gaming Development

One of the fundamental actions in the wagering sphere is obtaining a licence. A company that has a permit to provide gambling services:

• automatically enters the international level;
• demonstrates its trustworthiness and stability;
• operates on a legal basis.

Many states in different parts of the world offer services for obtaining licences. Among the dozens of countries that legalise casino entertainment, the jurisdiction of Curacao is characterised by huge popularity and worldwide recognition.

Curacao Gambling Licence: General Facts

This is a small Caribbean island. Until 2010, the jurisdiction was part of the Netherlands. Now the offshore zone is in the status of autonomy.

Curacao is one of the oldest licence providers in the wagering environment, having worked since 1996. The zone was also one of the first jurisdictions to implement an iGaming regulation system. Electronic entertainment on the territory is an utterly legal type of business.

The issuance of international permits began in 2001. The National Ordinance Offshore Games of Hazard control the amusement sector.

Curacao International Licenсe: Types of Permits

The certification has an exclusive feature — it contains all kinds of wagering activities. The operator can obtain a single document for each type of entertainment: lotteries, bingo, bookmakers, poker clubs or web platforms.

At the moment, the jurisdiction issues 2 options for permits:

1. The primary gambling certificate.
2. The sublicence.

There are 3 corporations holding master permits, and it is complicated for third-party operators to get this type of document. Monopoly owners distribute sublicences to entrepreneurs and provide services for organising and supporting businesses in an offshore zone.

Having a permit allows starting a business worldwide. Only the provision of gambling services directly on the island, in the Netherlands, France and the United States, is prohibited.

Moreover, the sublicence forbids the sale and distribution of documents in any other way — the island's market is monopolised.

Curacao Licence: Cost of the Service

It depends on the list of products and solutions offered by the service provider.

Licensing cost is calculated based on the following factors:

• The application fee is a one-time contribution of $1,000.
• The licence tax is about $4,800 plus $2,400 for the third and subsequent domains, paid annually. The total number of domain names is unlimited; the maximum contribution is $12,000 a year.
• Opening a bank account is a one-time deduction of $1,000–2,000 (the prerequisites for collaboration with the bank are negotiated individually).
• Registration of a legal entity on the offshore territory costs approximately 3,250 euros.
• Management services are about 3250 euros annually.
• The venue's equipment purchase is $1,500 (a one-time deduction).
• Server maintenance services are about $6,000–8,000 annually (depending on the features and configuration of the equipment).

The cost of a turnkey Curacao licence is about $20,000. Additional costs for consulting agents with a master certificate are about $300 per hour.

After the first year of gaming site operation on the island, the licence requires the following fees:

• a contribution;
• fees for managing a legal entity;
• server payments;
• additional domain names;
• tax deductions.

Taxation of Online Gambling Business

Licensees are offered the following contribution system: 2% income tax in the absence of such fees as income from rates, VAT, deductions from sales, import duties and withdrawals from bank accounts.

The Curacao casino licence with minimum taxation is valid exclusively within the E-Zone. Managers can register an enterprise in a particular tariff area only after the official consent of the local government. Permission to collaborate with companies and clients outside the tax zone is also possible.

In this case, the approval of the authorities and the need to adhere to the following condition are obligatory — income from trading with an offshore zone should not exceed 25% of the total turnover of the enterprise.

List of Documents for Registration of Services

The package of official papers needed for licensing a gaming portal in Curacao is divided into 2 main types:

• for registering a legal entity in an offshore zone;
• for a licence.

Registration of a firm is carried out after providing such information:

• a certificate of no criminal records for all project participants (not older than 90 days);
• duplicates of passport data;
• a legal certificate from a banking institution in which the company's account is opened;
• copies of utility bills on behalf of the beneficiary, which confirms the presence of a lawful entity.

The package of papers for receiving a Curacao licence includes the following:

• verification of ownership of a domain name;
• a full description of the game content;
• a list of states with which collaboration is planned;
• a layout of server objects used in the operation of the site;
• copies of agreements concluded with equipment and software suppliers.

An additional condition is the mandatory presence of a transit server. It is an invariable element that helps the government to monitor the entrepreneur's actions.

Responsibilities of Entertainment Operators

Each recipient must perform the following actions:

• register a legal entity with the Chamber of Commerce;
• confirm the compliance of the company's activities (passing through the identification and legal examination procedure);
• audit gaming equipment and software solutions.

One of the founders of the enterprise must necessarily be a resident of the Netherlands Antilles. It is also mandatory to ensure support to each player who deposited on the gambling site.

Curacao International Licence: Key Benefits

Regarding the price-quality ratio, this permit is considered one of the most famous and sought-after offshore zones, recognised worldwide. More than 1/9 of all entertainment projects operate under the Curacao licensing system.

The permit provides the entrepreneur with the following advantages:

• Individual approach to each client and a wide range of offers and services for doing business.
• Increasing the prestige of the firm. This licence is an excellent demonstration of the operator’s status and a good way to earn the respect and trust of international partners.
• Advantageous tax conditions. There are no such forms of deductions as VAT, fees from the turnover of the enterprise, etc. E-Zone is protected from legislative changes in the field of taxation until 2025.
• The pricing policy of the jurisdiction is loyal.
• There is a single-type casino licence in Curacao. The permission covers all categories of gaming options that can be presented on the Web
• There is a simplified licensing procedure with a minimal documentation package.
• There are no restrictions on the withdrawal of dividends from bank accounts.
• The licence includes loyal requirements for the financial performance of the operator.
• The IT structure of the offshore zone is highly developed.
• Short deadlines for obtaining permits. As a rule, a gambling certificate is issued within 3–4 weeks.

The Main Things about Obtaining the Curacao Licence with Gaminator

By contacting our specialists, you will receive comprehensive information about:

• the features of opening a gambling site;
• the nuances of buying a licence;
• the marketing promotion of the brand.

The firm’s team offers a wide range of certified software and gaming content from leading providers. We have the best solutions for live casinos, online locations, bookmakers, lotteries and bingo, and poker clubs.

Entertainment content is represented by browser slots and table games from such world-famous providers as Playtech, Novomatic, Microgaming, Igrosoft, NetEnt and others.