(AsiaGameHub) –   A recent decision by Curaçao’s Common Court of Justice is poised to significantly impact online gambling licensing within the jurisdiction.

According to reports from The Curaçao Chronicle, the court ruled that the responsibility for decisions and disclosure concerning online gambling licenses rests with the government and the relevant minister, who in this instance is the Minister of Justice Shalten Hato.

The court’s ruling came in a case initiated by journalist Nardy Cramm, who had sought documents related to the gambling sector through Curaçao’s National Ordinance on Public Access to Government Information (Lob).

Cramm had argued that Curaçao’s Governor, Mauritsz de Kort, was responsible for decision-making. However, the court rejected this argument, instead affirming that gambling laws and the powers they confer are the responsibility of the government and its respective ministers.

Judges also clarified that gambling licenses must be issued via national decrees signed by both the governor and the responsible minister. Nevertheless, political accountability remains with the ministers.

Oversight of Curaçao’s gaming industry underwent a change as part of the implementation of the National Ordinance on Games of Chance (LoK), which was enacted in December 2024.

Under previous legislation, the Minister of Justice was tasked with overseeing the sector. However, this responsibility has now been formally transferred to the Ministry of Justice.

The Curaçao Gaming Authority was established as part of the LoK’s implementation to regulate the sector. Aideen Shortt of the CGA described the shift to oversight by the Ministry of Justice as a ‘natural progression’.

She informed iGaming Expert in October 2025: “Having established the legal and operational foundations for the new framework, the CGA is now concentrating on supervision and monitoring – areas that inherently fall within the Justice portfolio.”

This latest court ruling provides further clarity to the market and solidifies the Ministry of Justice’s position as the primary overseer of gambling on the island.