Two names, one line of regulator
Curaçao’s gaming regulator has gone by more than one name. The body most casinos cite is the Gaming Control Board (GCB). As the 2024 reform was implemented, the regulator was reorganised and renamed the Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA). The CGA is the current name; the GCB is the name it operated under during the transition. Its official site is cga.cw.
Short version: Gaming Control Board (GCB) → Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA). Same regulator, updated name. If a site references the “GCB”, it is pointing at what is now the CGA.
How we got here
Under the old system, the actual licensing power sat with a handful of private master licensors, who issued sub-licenses to operators. As Curaçao moved to clean this up, the Gaming Control Board stepped into the role those master licensors had played and, from 15 November 2023, began issuing online gaming licenses directly. When the LOK came into force in December 2024 and the new licensing infrastructure was in place, the authority was reorganised and took the CGA name.
Why the old name still shows up everywhere
Three reasons. First, the GCB name was in use for years, so it is baked into countless casino footers, terms pages and reviews. Second, license references and documents issued during the transition naturally carry the older name. Third, “Gaming Control Board” is simply the phrase most players learned to look for. None of that makes a site fraudulent — but it does mean the name alone is not proof of anything.
What this means when you’re checking a license
Don’t get hung up on whether a site says “GCB” or “CGA”. What matters is whether the license can be confirmed on the authority’s own register. The verification endpoint is cert.cga.cw, and the licensing body — whatever name a casino prints — is the CGA today. Walk through it in how to verify a license, and use the license-number decoder to sanity-check the number first.
For official information about the regulator and its current name, the authority’s own site is cga.cw.
Frequently asked
Does the Gaming Control Board still exist?
Not as a separate body. The Gaming Control Board was reorganised into the Curaçao Gaming Authority as the 2024 reform took effect, so “GCB” and “CGA” describe the same regulator before and after the change — not two competing authorities. There is one licensing body today, and it operates under the CGA name.
Why does a casino still say it is “GCB licensed”?
Older footers, terms pages and licence seals were written while the Gaming Control Board name was current, and operators are slow to update them. A “GCB licensed” line is not a problem in itself — but the name proves nothing on its own. Confirm the licence on the authority’s register at cert.cga.cw rather than trusting the wording.
Is the CGA the official Curaçao gaming regulator?
Yes. The Curaçao Gaming Authority is the government body that now issues and supervises gaming licences, and its official site is cga.cw. That is where licences are published and where any licence claim can be checked against the source.