Curaçao Gives Casinos Until Feb to Meet New Anti-Money Laundering Rules

The Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA) has given the casinos it licenses until Feb. 1, 2027 to comply with revised anti-money laundering rules that took effect on Nov. 1, 2026.

The rules cover online casinos as well as land-based ones, and much of the crypto casino market runs on Curaçao licenses.

One licensee, Shuffle, took in $2.7 billion in crypto deposits in the year to Nov. 4, FairGambling's tracker shows. That averages about $7,165 per depositing wallet, more than three times the point where the rules demand a full ID check.

Players Hit a Freeze at About $2,235

Under the new regulations, a casino must fully verify a player once their deposits and withdrawals since sign-up reach 4,000 Caribbean guilders (about $2,235). The document says that line has applied since May 2024.

If a deposit pushes a player over it, they can keep playing with their balance but cannot deposit or withdraw. If a withdrawal request crosses it, the whole account is frozen.

A player who does not hand over the documents within 30 days loses the account. Unless the casino suspects money laundering, the money goes back to the bank account or wallet it came from.

Even below the threshold, casinos must collect a name, home address and date of birth at sign-up. They must also screen every new player against sanctions lists and for political connections.

Crypto Counts as a High-Risk Payment

The rules list virtual assets alongside prepaid cards as anonymous payment methods that carry a higher risk of money laundering. Any transaction of 5,000 guilders (almost $2,800) or more, or several adding up to that in one gaming day, must be reported to Curaçao's Financial Intelligence Unit.

Casinos must also appoint a compliance officer, train staff and have their anti-money laundering program independently audited. Breaking the rules can bring administrative and criminal penalties, the regulator says.

The deadline lands while the CGA is still replacing the licensing portal it scrapped after a hack. From Feb. 1, 2027, every Curaçao-licensed casino, online or on the island, is bound by the new rules.

Treat gambling as entertainment you pay for. 18+, and if it stops feeling like entertainment, help exists at BeGambleAware and GamCare.