Curaçao regulator leak puts offshore casino ownership under the spotlight
A hacker says she copied tens of thousands of files from the Curaçao Gaming Authority, and journalists using them report that the regulator granted licences despite unanswered ownership questions. The authority confirmed unauthorised access and says its forensic investigation continues.
Many offshore casinos open to South African players hold Curaçao licences, and a licence badge in a site footer is often the only comfort a player gets. The reporting suggests that badge does not always mean the owners were thoroughly checked. That is a reason to treat any offshore licence as a starting point for your own checks, not proof of safety. South Africa has no licence for online casino games, so no local body will resolve disputes with these sites.
What happened
Follow the Money, a Dutch investigative outlet, reported on 22 September 2026 that a Berlin-based researcher, Lilith Wittmann, obtained tens of thousands of confidential documents from the licensing system of the Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA). The outlet is publishing its findings as Casino Secrets, with media partners in Norway, Germany, Austria and Sweden.
The Guardian reported on 26 September that the CGA confirmed unauthorised access to its portal. The authority told the paper it could not answer questions about an ongoing, complex forensic matter and would issue further updates.
What the files are said to show
Follow the Money says the documents reveal owners of casino companies that were previously anonymous, and that the regulator routinely granted licences without establishing whether the declared owners were actually in charge, even where applicants left out important information. It also says financial experts warn that this kind of secrecy can enable money laundering.
The Guardian reported that the leak covers some of the largest offshore casinos and that it raises new questions about ownership of a network it had investigated earlier in the year. Companies named in coverage have denied or contested some points, and we have not reviewed the leaked files ourselves.
Political fallout so far
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported on 1 October that the files show a former Australian federal minister, De-Anne Kelly, was a co-founder and past part-owner of an online casino, LuckyBet, whose Curaçao licence was revoked at the end of 2025. Australia's communications regulator said it would assess the new information. The ABC said it sought to verify the contents through public sources where possible, and that Ms Kelly and her son did not respond to requests for comment.
What it means for South African players
- A Curaçao licence is not the same as a South African licence, and no South African authority supervises it.
- Ownership transparency is one of the things worth looking for before you deposit.
- Check any claim of licensing yourself, and read our casino reviews, where unverified facts are marked as such, rather than relying on a footer logo.
You can read how we separate "accepts South African players" from "licensed in South Africa" in our methodology.
What to watch next
Watch for the CGA forensic findings, any licence suspensions or reviews, and whether regulators in markets such as Australia, the UK and the Netherlands act on what the files show. The National Gambling Board has not, in the material we reviewed, commented on the leak.