Curacao Gaming Authority in Crisis as Full Board Quits and PM Assumes Control

Curacao's modernization efforts in the gambling sector face operational challenges following the sudden resignation of all three supervisory board members of the Curacao Gaming Authority (CGA) in mid-September. Commissioners Shelwyn Salesia, Robert Reijnaert, and Ildefons Simon left their posts just 90 days after launching a new regulatory framework under the Landsverordening op de Kansspelen (LOK).

Prime Minister Gilmar Pisas has now assumed direct command of the institution, which is directly linked to the Finance Ministry, bypassing standard governance protocols. This leadership vacuum threatens to derail reforms designed to overhaul the thriving Caribbean gaming sector, with questions arising on the implementation of LOK reforms.

Deepening Government Crisis

Curacao's political turmoil escalated on September 16 as PM Pisas called a private meeting with CGA executives to discuss "matters related to the gambling sector." However, Finance Minister Javier Silvana was excluded.

Government advisor Caryl Monte represented the ministry at the closed-door meeting, fueling suspicions about Silvana's diminished authority. The PM's office now directly oversees all gaming regulatory operations, a significant change from the body's original mandate to operate under the Finance Ministry.

The power shift coincides with Silvania's mounting political vulnerabilities, including public clashes with senior administrator Alfonso Trona and corruption allegations within his MFK party. Opposition PAR legislators have amplified calls for judicial scrutiny of the minister's conduct.

Structural Flaws Undermine Reforms

CGA has been operational since July 2025 as the successor to the Gaming Control Board. It confronts contradictions that jeopardize its mandate to modernize the island's gambling sector. While tasked with dismantling the previous master-license system and enforcing direct operator licensing, the regulator's own administrative legitimacy is now under scrutiny. Another discrepancy is its public identity as a foundation "on behalf of the Ministry of Finance" and oversight by the PM's office instead.

The prolonged absence of a supervisory board, which is unusual for a regulator overseeing a US$500 million industry, leaves significant compliance decisions in limbo during a critical period of transition to stricter standards.

Reform Timetable in Jeopardy

Curacao's December 2024 gambling reforms under LOK, crafted to bolster licensing and anti-money laundering protocols, could collapse amid leadership vacuums. The absence of a supervisory board threatens to derail reform timelines, adding to the island's reputation for inconsistent enforcement.

The sector contributes US$23.2–34.8 million in tax revenue annually and is dubbed "the government's cash cow." Analysts warn that political intervention risks worsening systemic issues the LOK sought to resolve.