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Curaçao or the UK: which gambling licence fits your operation?
A lighter global licence or a demanding one that opens Great Britain. Here is how the two compare and who each suits.
Curaçao licenses under the LOK, which has been in force since 24 December 2024, through the Curaçao Gaming Authority. The UK licenses under the Gambling Act 2005 through the UK Gambling Commission. The first suits a global product; the second is the licence you need to serve Great Britain.
At a glance
| Topic | Curaçao | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Market | Suits a global product, including markets European regulators do not license. | Required to offer gambling to consumers in Great Britain, wherever the business is based. |
| Regulator fees | €4,592 application fee. Annual fees of €47,450 for a B2C operator and €24,490 for a B2B supplier. | For a remote casino licence, an application fee from £8,185 and an annual fee from £7,000, rising with gross gambling yield. The first annual fee is reduced by 25%. |
| Timeline | Several months from a complete file to decision. | Around 16 weeks from a complete application, and longer where the Commission asks for more. |
| People and presence | Real local presence under the LOK: premises, people and decision-making in Curaçao that fit the licence type. | Personal licences for individuals in management and functional roles that require one, and management and decision-making you can demonstrate. |
| Conduct rules | A defined standard under the LOK with direct supervision by the CGA. | The Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice: customer due diligence, safer gambling, affordability and source-of-funds checks, with an active enforcement record. |
Indicative and for orientation. UK fees are for a remote casino licence under the Commission's schedule effective from 1 October 2026; other activities have their own tables. We confirm the figures for your structure in the scoping call.
Which one fits you?
| If you are… | Lean towards | Why |
|---|---|---|
| An operator targeting Great Britain | United Kingdom | A UKGC licence is the only route to the British market. |
| An operator targeting global markets outside Great Britain | Curaçao | A lighter regime and a lower cost of entry, with a defined standard under the LOK. |
| A group serving Great Britain and other markets | Both licences | They cover different markets, so groups often hold both. Plan the structure up front so the work is shared. |
| A B2B supplier | Whichever your customers need | Operators often ask suppliers for a specific licence. Ask your largest customers first. |
| A Curaçao sub-licence holder considering the UK | Decide on markets, not on cost | Move where your players and partners are, and plan the second licence alongside the first. |
Start from your market, not the cheapest licence
Where your players are, which payment providers you need and what your banks will accept usually decide the jurisdiction. A cheaper licence that limits where you can operate is rarely the cheaper outcome.
Common questions
Keep reading
Jurisdiction
Gambling licence in Curaçao
The LOK regime, the licence types and what the CGA expects of you.
Jurisdiction
Gambling licence in the United Kingdom
The UKGC's operating and personal licences and what it expects.
Comparison
Compare Curaçao, Malta and the UK
Licence types, fees, timelines and local presence, side by side.
Not sure which one fits?
A short call is usually enough to narrow two options down to one, or to plan holding both.