The Public Prosecutor's Office (PPO) of Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and the Dutch Caribbean recently announced that it has reached out-of-court settlement agreements with 12 online casino operators to address their failure to rigorously verify player identities.
This investigation was initiated following media exposure and a criminal lawsuit filed by the Online Gaming Victims' Representation Foundation. During an operation codenamed "Nebraska," the PPO reviewed 17 gambling websites. The investigation revealed that despite regulations requiring identity verification before establishing business relationships, some operators still allowed players to register accounts and deposit funds without verified identities, violating "Know Your Customer" (KYC) regulations.
The KYC measures in Curaçao are designed to prevent fraud, money laundering, and the participation of minors or vulnerable groups in gambling activities. All 12 legal entities accepted the settlement scheme, though they did not admit to any regulatory violations or assume criminal responsibility.
Eleven of the casinos were fined 22,500 Caribbean guilders each (approximately $12,570), totaling 360,000 Caribbean guilders in fines. Another operator had its settlement agreement revoked due to non-compliance with financial agreements, and the case will proceed to judicial proceedings.
The PPO's settlements reflect a strengthening stance on identity verification regulation in Curaçao's online gambling industry. Industry-driven compliance solutions, such as the biometric technology developed jointly by SCCG and Aware, are becoming key tools in preventing fraud and enhancing compliance.
