Casino Secrets leak exposes gaps behind Curaçao casino licences

Thousands of offshore casino websites carry a Curaçao licence. But what does that badge tell a British player about the company behind a site? The Casino Secrets investigation has brought that question into focus after reporters examined confidential files from the Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA). They found cases in which licences were awarded while questions about ownership and control remained unresolved. A separate UK licence is required to offer online gambling to consumers in Great Britain, regardless of any permission granted in Curaçao.

What the leaked files show

Berlin-based researcher Lilith Wittmann obtained documents from the CGA's licensing system. Follow the Money and its reporting partners examined applications, ownership disclosures and the regulator's assessments. The investigation began publishing on 22 September; the Guardian's UK-focused report followed on 26 September.

Follow the Money reviewed records covering 646 organisations that held licences in December 2025. Its reporters found examples of assessors identifying gaps in information about an applicant's owners or source of wealth, then recommending a licence despite those outstanding questions.

The CGA told Follow the Money that its licensing system was in transition following Curaçao's 2024 reforms. It said uncertainty about an applicant did not automatically mean a licence should be refused. The authority has also confirmed unauthorised access to its portal and told the Guardian it could not answer questions about an ongoing forensic matter.

“The licence may be granted.” — Wording that Follow the Money found in CGA assessors' recommendations despite outstanding questions.

UK links raise questions about control

The Guardian reported that files submitted by Santeda International name Georgian national Onise Chimakhidze as its owner. Some filings also contain Upgaming email addresses, and the documents record six loans totalling €15.59 million from Santeda to a Luxembourg company linked to people involved with Upgaming.

Upgaming's lawyers have denied that the company operated Santeda. They said the contact details could reflect a former business relationship and that their client could not explain a third party's filings without seeing the documents. The Guardian had previously reported that Santeda-linked casinos appeared to target vulnerable British gamblers despite lacking a Gambling Commission licence.

The leaked material also prompted questions about the ownership disclosed by Stake's Curaçao company, Medium Rare NV. According to Follow the Money, CGA officials queried whether its declared owner was the sole person in control, but a licence was granted. An unresolved ownership question is not, by itself, proof of money laundering or misconduct by an operator.

What a Curaçao licence means in Britain

A licence from  Curaçao does not give an operator permission to serve consumers in Great Britain. The Gambling Commission says overseas online casinos still need its licence to do so. Players can search the public register by business name, trading name or website domain to check a site's British licence status.

The Commission says illegal sites are outside its supervisory framework, which includes anti-money-laundering and customer-protection requirements for licensed operators. It told the Guardian it could not comment on the leaked files but works with partners to identify and disrupt illegal gambling.

The immediate question for regulators and commercial partners is whether the newly exposed ownership records provide grounds for further checks or action. The Guardian reported no UK enforcement outcome tied to the leak.