Curacao Offers New Dea

11 April 2000
Cyberluck Curacao, which is authorized to license Internet gaming operators in Curacao, is betting that a credit toward licensing fees, combined with new fiber optic connectivity, will bring numerous new licensees to the Netherlands Antilles island. Already, Kings Crown Casino has taken up the offer, said Anthony Dick, license administrator, who added that numerous operators are considering Cyberluck's promotional offer.

Not surprisingly, many of these operators are located in Antigua, he added, where the government has announced sweeping changes, including taxation of gross win and greater access to operators' computer networks and databases.

The central government of Netherlands Antilles privatized licensing in 1996, giving Cyberluck Curacao authority to provide "Information Provider" (IP) status to qualified operators that co-locate their gaming servers in Curacao. The company announced their licensing promotion this week.

As part of their promotion, Cyberluck is offering a credit to any operator who has already paid year 2000 licensing fees with another jurisdiction, if they relocate to Curacao. During the promotional period, a license will cost US$48,000 annually, payable in monthly installments, Dick said. A discount for multiple casinos operating from the same server by the same operator will also be given.

Additionally, Cyberluck has bypassed the local telephone service, and implemented a new fiber optics service to provide expanded Internet connectivity for operators. Dick also points out that Curacao is located outside of the Caribbean hurricane belt, which affects many island licensing jurisdictions.

Finally, many import duties will be waived for operators shipping in equipment for the new Internet facilities, according to Dick. The necessary applications and information is available: