Prime Minister Gilmar Pisas has assumed direct oversight of the Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA) following the resignation of its entire Supervisory Board.
The CGA, created late last year to replace the Curaçao Gaming Control Board, was intended to implement more rigorous regulation under the National Ordinance on Games of Chance (LOK). This followed criticism of Curaçao’s master licence system from other jurisdictions.
Commissioners Shelwyn Salesia, Robert Reijnaert, and Ildefons Simo resigned in mid-September. The CGA confirmed that the government has begun appointing new board members. It stated that the resignations do not affect its supervisory duties, including ongoing LOK implementation.
The regulator provided no explanation for the departures. However, speculation links the resignations to controversy around Finance Minister Javier Silvania, whose ministry oversees the CGA. Opposition leader Quincy Girigorie has called for a criminal investigation following corruption allegations against Silvania. These allegations were made by Alfonso Trona, head of the tax office.
For now, communications with the CGA are routed through Prime Minister Pisas’s office. Earlier this year, the former Gaming Control Board launched a consultation on an alternative dispute resolution policy. This policy aimed at reducing legal actions from disgruntled gamblers.
