Curaçao Licence for Casinos: What Ukrainian Players Need to Know

What Is a Curaçao Licence

A Curaçao licence is an official permit to organise online gambling, issued by the Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA) in accordance with the Landsverordening op de kansspelen (LOK) law. This law has been in force since 24 December 2024 and replaced the previous master licence system, where permits were issued by private sub-licensing companies. Now each operator receives a licence directly from the state regulator, the number has the format OGL/2024/…, and all data is entered into a public register on the CGA website.

The CGA licence covers casinos, sports betting, poker, and lotteries under a single permit. Requirements include verification of beneficial owners, technical audits of gaming software, financial guarantees, and compliance with responsible gambling standards. The operator pays an annual fee and is obliged to report to the regulator. The licence is valid in Curaçao and in jurisdictions that recognise this permit—Ukraine is not among them.

Why Casinos with a Curaçao Licence Are Unlicensed in Ukraine

Ukrainian legislation only allows online casinos to operate if they hold a licence from PlayCity, the State Agency that has regulated gambling since 2025. The Curaçao licence is not recognised in Ukraine—sites operating under it are considered unlicensed, and PlayCity adds their domains to the blocking list. A player who uses such a casino has no protection under Ukrainian law: complaints to PlayCity will not be considered, the self-exclusion register does not apply, and there is no tax agent to withhold personal income tax and the military levy.

Offshore casinos often offer workarounds—mirrors, VPNs, payments via P2P transfers to individuals' cards. This creates additional risks: a bank may block a card for suspicious transactions, a transfer to an intermediary's card is not refundable, and the withdrawal amount is limited by the P2P cap. Ukrainian banks monitor transactions with gambling code MCC 7995 and may reject payments to unlicensed sites. If you are looking for a legal way to play, check the register of licensees on the PlayCity website—it lists legal entities, licence numbers, and domains operating legally in Ukraine.

How to Verify a Curaçao Licence

Verifying a Curaçao licence involves several steps. First, find the details in the casino site's footer—it should state the legal entity, licence number in the format OGL/2024/…, and a CGA seal or validator. Then go to the official Curaçao Gaming Authority website and open the public register of licensees. Enter the licence number or legal entity name—the system will show the permit status, issue date, and domains covered by the licence. If the casino domain you are playing on does not match the domain in the register, the licence does not apply to that site.

If there are no details in the footer, the seal leads to a third-party site, or the licence number is not found in the CGA register, the casino is operating without a permit or using forged data. In this case, the risk of losing funds increases: the regulator does not control the operator, there is nowhere to file a complaint, and withdrawal of winnings depends solely on the casino's goodwill. Additionally, compare the Curaçao licence with the Anjouan licence—requirements there are softer and the register less transparent.

What a Curaçao Licence Guarantees

The CGA licence confirms that the operator has passed regulatory checks: the legal entity is registered, beneficiaries are disclosed, financial guarantees are provided, and gaming software has undergone technical audits. The regulator monitors compliance with random number generator requirements, storage of player funds in separate accounts, and the availability of responsible gambling tools—betting limits, self-exclusion, breaks in play. If an operator violates the licence terms, CGA may suspend or revoke the permit.

However, the Curaçao licence does not guarantee payout speed, absence of hidden bonus terms, or quality of player support. It does not protect against situations where a casino delays withdrawal due to additional verification or refuses payout due to rule violations the player did not notice. For Ukrainian players, the Curaçao licence does not replace a PlayCity licence—the operator remains unlicensed in Ukraine, its site is blocked, and the player has no access to the self-exclusion register or a tax agent to withhold personal income tax.

Advantages of a Curaçao Licence

• The public CGA register allows verification of licence status, legal entity, and operator domains.
• The regulator requires technical audits of gaming software, financial guarantees, and disclosure of beneficiaries.
• One licence covers casinos, betting, poker, and lotteries—the operator can offer different products.
• Responsible gambling requirements include limits, self-exclusion, and breaks in play.

Disadvantages of a Curaçao Licence for Ukrainian Players

• The licence is not recognised in Ukraine—a casino with it is considered unlicensed, the site is blocked by PlayCity.
• The player has no protection under Ukrainian law: complaints to PlayCity will not be considered, the self-exclusion register does not apply.
• There is no tax agent—the obligation to declare winnings and pay personal income tax and the military levy falls on the player.
• Payments often go through P2P transfers to individuals' cards, intermediaries, or cryptocurrency—risk of card blocking by the bank.
• Workarounds (VPN, mirrors) violate the site's terms of use and may lead to account blocking.

Comparison of Curaçao Licence with Others

The Curaçao licence belongs to offshore permits that operators choose for fast processing, moderate requirements, and the ability to work in the international market without restrictions for individual countries. Compared to the Anjouan licence, the CGA licence has stricter requirements for financial reporting, technical audits, and disclosure of beneficiaries. The CGA register is public and regularly updated, whilst the Anjouan Offshore Finance Authority register is less transparent and licence verification is more difficult.

However, both licences are not recognised in Ukraine—for a Ukrainian player there is no difference between a casino with a Curaçao licence and Anjouan in terms of legality. Both sites are blocked by PlayCity, have no tax agent, and do not fall under the protection of the Ukrainian regulator. If you are looking for legal access to online casinos, the only option is operators from the PlayCity register. To compare payment methods at licensed and offshore casinos, see the payment methods section—it describes options in detail for Ukrainian players.

Typical Problems with Casinos Under a Curaçao Licence

The most common problem is site access blocking. PlayCity regularly adds domains of unlicensed casinos to the blocking list, and providers restrict access from Ukrainian IP addresses. Players look for mirrors or use VPNs, but this violates the site's terms of use and may lead to casino account blocking without refund. Additionally, mirrors are often controlled by intermediaries who have no connection to the original operator—the risk of phishing and data theft increases.

The second problem is payments. Offshore casinos do not have access to direct bank transfers in hryvnia, so they use P2P transfers to individuals' cards, payment aggregators, or cryptocurrency. A bank may block a card for suspicious transactions with gambling code MCC 7995, a transfer to an intermediary's card is not refundable in case of dispute, and cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible—if the casino does not credit the deposit, recovering funds is impossible. The P2P limit also restricts the withdrawal amount—from October 2024, the NBU set a limit on outgoing transfers between individuals at 150,000 UAH per month; larger amounts can only be withdrawn with proof of income.

The third problem is taxes. A casino with a Curaçao licence is not a tax agent in Ukraine, so the obligation to declare winnings and pay 18% personal income tax and 5% military levy falls on the player. If winnings are not declared, there is a risk of tax reassessment and fines during a State Tax Service audit. By comparison, a licensed PlayCity operator withholds tax automatically; the player receives net winnings without additional action. For more on currencies and payment methods, see the currencies section—it describes options for hryvnia, dollars, euros, and cryptocurrencies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Casinos with a Curaçao Licence Legal in Ukraine?

No, casinos with a Curaçao licence do not have permission to operate in Ukraine. Under Ukrainian law, an online casino can only operate with a PlayCity licence. Sites with a Curaçao licence are considered unlicensed, their domains are blocked by the regulator, and the player has no protection under Ukrainian law.

How to Verify Whether a Casino's Curaçao Licence Is Valid?

Find the licence number and legal entity in the casino site's footer, go to the official Curaçao Gaming Authority website, and open the public register of licensees. Enter the licence number in the format OGL/2024/… or the company name—the system will show the permit status and domains it covers. If the domain does not match the register, the licence does not apply to that site.

Can I File a Complaint About a Casino with a Curaçao Licence to the Ukrainian Regulator?

No, PlayCity only considers complaints about operators that hold a licence from that agency. Casinos with a Curaçao licence do not fall under the jurisdiction of the Ukrainian regulator. A complaint can be filed with CGA, but the review procedure and outcome are not guaranteed for players from countries where the operator operates without a local permit.

What Are the Risks for a Ukrainian Player at a Casino with a Curaçao Licence?

Main risks: site access blocking by PlayCity, absence of protection under Ukrainian law, obligation to independently declare winnings and pay taxes, risk of card blocking by the bank for transactions with an unlicensed operator, inability to use the self-exclusion register. Payments often go through intermediaries—recovering funds in case of dispute is difficult.

Will Ukraine Recognise the Curaçao Licence in Future?

Currently, Ukrainian legislation does not provide for recognition of foreign licences for online casino operations in the country. An operator must obtain a PlayCity licence, meet requirements for player identification, settlements through bank accounts in hryvnia, and comply with advertising regulations. Changes are only possible if amendments are made to the law by the Verkhovna Rada.

Gambling is for persons aged 21 and over. If you feel you are losing control over gambling, use the self-exclusion register on the PlayCity website—applications are submitted with a qualified electronic signature or in person, valid from six months to three years, cannot be revoked early. Play responsibly.