The Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA) has shut down its online licensing portal following a major data breach in which more than 40,000 documents were publicly released, according to an official press release reported by Gambling News. The regulator separately confirmed that unauthorized access occurred between December 2025 and September 2026 through an account using a false identity. Existing license holders are not expected to be affected while a new platform is introduced, but the move ends the current application system and related services. An opposition politician has demanded the CGA director's resignation and warned of possible compensation claims.
Regulator ends portal and linked services
The CGA announced that it was discontinuing the portal and ending the service arrangements that supported it. According to Gambling News, the authority is working to retire the existing platform while preserving uninterrupted regulatory operations. The regulator said it remains focused on safeguarding regulatory functions and information, and it acknowledged that operators may face challenges during the change.
A Curaçao Chronicle report said the regulator confirmed on October 7 that the portal would be discontinued and its associated services ended. Giselle Mc William, the political leader of MAN, said the CGA had not sufficiently explained the reasons for the decision.
Hack exposed sensitive licensing files
On September 17, 2026, the CGA reported that it had found unauthorized access to its online gaming portal, contained the incident and identified the source. The regulator and its service provider started incident response measures, and the provider launched a forensic investigation, according to Gambling News. Berlin-based cybersecurity researcher Lilith Wittmann later claimed responsibility. She reportedly accessed ownership declarations, license applications, regulatory assessments and tax documents, and the breach exposed details about companies whose ownership is often difficult to confirm through public corporate registers.
The CGA also confirmed that the unauthorized access occurred between December 2025 and September 2026 through an account operating under a false identity, according to information cited in Mc William's statement. International investigative journalists reported that thousands of confidential records were obtained, including passport copies, tax declarations, financial information and internal assessments of gambling license applications. Gambling News said more than 40,000 documents were publicly released.
Existing license holders unaffected during transition
The CGA said the portal shutdown does not alter the validity of current licenses, the obligations of licensed operators, or its own regulatory and supervisory role. Licensing, compliance and supervision will continue through alternative arrangements while an interim solution is put in place. The regulator had said details of those arrangements would be communicated by October 9, 2026, but as of October 12, Gambling News reported that no interim solution had been publicly described.
Political fallout and unanswered questions
Mc William demanded the resignation of the CGA director, arguing that the breach, the portal shutdown and controversies involving online gambling operators have harmed Curaçao's international reputation. Her criticism followed an October 12, 2026 report by the Times of Malta about the CGA ending cooperation with a firm associated with Mario Galea, a former Malta Gaming Authority chief. Mc William raised the possibility of compensation claims and legal proceedings, though she said no liability has been established.
She also questioned payments she described as exceeding €10 million annually to a company linked to Galea, but her statement did not provide supporting financial documentation, according to Curaçao Chronicle. Mc William further pointed to controversies involving operators associated with BlockDance, BC.Game and Rabidi, including bankruptcy proceedings and unresolved questions about corporate assets. She argued that these events raise doubts about the effectiveness of CGA oversight under the National Ordinance on Games of Chance. The Curaçao Chronicle report did not include a response from the CGA director or the responsible minister to the resignation demand.
