Curacao Internet Gaming Association
The CIGA is one of the oldest regulators there is. It was set up in 1996 in the delightful island of Curacao. Located in the Southern Caribbean, it might be a small nation but it is one of the biggest regulators there is. The CIGA is one of the most popular regulators there is in the iGaming industry because it is one of the cheapest to get a licence with. This is because the small nation doesn’t require the same level of tax income that other countries do so they are able to offer a cheaper licence than the more established countries.
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Why does Curacao matter to us in South Africa?
This is because a wide range of casino operators who have online casinos that are available in South Africa have a licence from Curacao. This means that there is a good chance one of the casinos you choose to play at could have a Curacao licence. While they are generally regarded as a trustworthy regulator, they are not as strict as other licensors such as the UKGC or MGA. This means that you might not get the same level of service from a casino that only has a licence from CIGA. This doesn’t mean they’re not trustworthy, it just means that the legislations they have to adhere to aren’t as strict.
What do CIGA do?
CIGA are dedicated to making sure that online casinos are a safe environment for customers. They also aim to keep casino operators fully transparent with how they behave. Their stated aim is to keep the online gaming industry behaving in a transparent way and to maintain the integrity of the different services that are offered. Because they have been running for almost 25 years they have built up a good reputation within the iGaming industry.
What CIGA don’t do is get involved with disputes. This is different to a lot of other regulators on the market. They allow casinos to deal with their own issues. It means that if you are using a casino that only has a licence from Curacao then there is a chance that you may need to employ the services of a mediator if you have any issues at any point.
CIGA also act as an information service to any operators who run casinos within their jurisdiction. This allows them to keep fully up to date with the laws that are currently in place. On top of this CIGA also provide marketing solutions in order to offer casinos the opportunity to market their services without going against the rules that are laid out in the CIGA legislation. It’s one of the most intelligent ways of making sure casino operators comply with regulations, by offering marketing services that are unable to offer services outside of what is allowed.
Getting a licence with the CIGA
CIGA are known for being one of the easiest licences to get. It doesn’t have a range of licences for different operations, it just has one main licence. This makes it a lot easier for operators who offer a range of different services to get a licence. It means that they won’t have to carry out a number of different tests nor will they have to pay different tax rates for different income streams.
The main requirements to have a licence in Curacao are as follows. No criminal record, a legitimate passport, the blocking of underage users from their site, information on social responsibility on show and a range of other information about the financial situation of the applicant. There will then be a set monthly fee and an agreement to follow the rules set out by CIGA and to comply with any changes to those rules.
Advantages of the CIGA
The lower fees in place for casino operators means that casinos can offer customers better deals due to smaller hits to their revenue. It also means that casinos that offer a great service but were unable to afford the higher charges of some other regulators will be able to get regulated and offer their services to South African players. Because there have been some issues over the years with regulators suddenly refusing licences to casinos based in entire countries, it means that Curacao has become almost a home to casinos that were rejected. This has given it a reputation of accepting anyone, but it’s not the case. Curacao is a respectable regulatory body that has offered licences to casinos that were suddenly left without anywhere to claim one.
Are they trustworthy?
CIGA are a trustworthy regulatory body. However, they are not as strict as the UKGC and the MGA. While this does not mean that they are not legitimate, it does mean that the casinos under their jurisdiction won’t be as tightly controlled. As such, if you want a casino that is tightly regimented it might be better to look for a casino that has an MGA or UKGC licence as well as a CIGA one.