In a legislative session held on Tuesday, December 17, the parliament of Curaçao approved the LOK gambling legislation with a vote of 13 in favor and six against.
Aideen Short, a PR and marketing consultant for the Gaming Control Board (GCB), expressed her enthusiasm by calling it a “great day for our industry” through a [LinkedIn post](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7275032340773449728/) after the legislation’s approval.
The subsequent steps involve the governor signing the LOK into law, an action anticipated to occur next week. This will mark the formal enactment of the LOK from that point onward.
This legislation’s passage met the objective set by Curaçao’s Gaming Control Board (GCB) for the fourth quarter of 2024, despite the challenges mentioned by GCB managing director Cedric Pietersz. [He had previously informed iGB](https://igamingbusiness.com/legal-compliance/licensing/curacao-regulator-licence-applications/) about delays caused by a surge in licence applications.
During budget discussions in December 2024 within Curaçao’s parliament, Minister Silvania shared that the GCB had already received thousands of online gambling licence applications. He noted that 220 licences had been granted and anticipated that around 600 companies would gain authorisation by the end of the first quarter of 2025. The finalization and approval of the budget took place on December 13.
### Objectives of the LOK
Under the new legislation, the previous master licensing system has been abolished, leading to the expiration of existing licences upon the law’s enforcement. Licensees are required to reapply under the new framework.
One of the LOK’s major goals is to enhance Curaçao’s image as a sanctuary for grey market operators. Minister of Finance Javier Silvania previously referred to these reforms as a “[safety net](https://igamingbusiness.com/legal-compliance/legal/lok-will-enhance-curacaos-reputation-implores-minister-of-finance/)” against unauthorized gambling operators.
The new framework presents various application options for B2B, B2C, and B2B2C operators. As [Pietersz mentioned](https://igamingbusiness.com/legal-compliance/licensing/curacao-regulator-licence-applications/) in July, the quality of applications received at that time did not meet the standards of the updated regulations.
“A significant number of applications face delays during our clarification process due to missing documents,” Pietersz explained. “We often have to return applications during the initial step, which prolongs our processing time.”
### GCB’s Response to Corruption Allegations
In November, the GCB addressed allegations regarding corruption, fraud, and money laundering within the new system through a [response that outlined elements of their licensing process](https://igamingbusiness.com/legal-compliance/licensing/curacao-gcb-corruption-claims/).
The GCB clarified that it holds exclusive responsibility for processing and issuing licences.
“The GCB is authorised to grant, amend, temporarily suspend, revoke, or deny licences, and to impose terms and conditions on them,” the GCB stated. “The claim that the GCB lacks the legal authority to grant licences is incorrect.”