An out of court settlement has been reached by 12 operators in Curacao over player protection shortcomings.
It was cited by the Public Prosecutor’s Office (PPO), investigating the case, that these operators fell short in terms of KYC procedures.
The operators at the centre of the case remain unidentified. However, it is reported that all involved in the case were accepting of the sanctions.
Poresecution in the case centres around player verification, with it being found that players were allowed to open accounts and deposit without any friction or verifying their identities.
Originally, 17 firms were targeted in the investigation, which was codenamed Operation Nebraska and spearheaded by the specialist police forces.
A statement from the office said: “The PPO sees several reasons to settle the matter out-of-court. Since the suspects are legal entities, it is unlikely – in the event they are proven guilty – that the criminal court will impose a penalty other than a fine.”
Continuing on its path of regulatory progress, Curacao governance recently revealed that several provisional licenses issued have been extended.
The decision applies to both Green Seal B2C entities and also to B2B license holders, with relevant parties now being ordered to ensure they are compliant with LOK requirements on 24 December 2025. Nonetheless, the Curacao Gaming Authority did lay out that not all operators will be granted the full six-month extension period, underpinning the importance of them showing progress when it comes to LOK standards.
There are a number of requirements that need to be implemented as a result of the policy, specifically around player verification and social responsibility.
These checks include age verification, player self-assessments, deposit limits and additional training for marketing partners and affiliates.
The new framework details that staff should be able to handle player interactions professionally and effectively, whilst also emphasising the importance of staff being able to recognise the signs of gambling distress and ensuring they can conduct sensitive and structured conversations with players.
Enforcement of significant self-exclusion protocols is also included in the framework, ordering operators to display clear self-exclusion guidance.
Central to the new framework is the advancement of efforts when it comes to AML protocols, as the country looks to eradicate bad actors within the B2C and B2B space.
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