Prime Minister Gilmar Pisas Assumes Control of Curaçao Gaming Authority After Entire Board Resigns

The upheaval marks a serious setback for Curaçao’s efforts to modernize and rebuild international credibility after years of criticism over lax oversight of online gaming operations.

According to local reports, commissioners Shelwyn Salesia, Robert Reijnaert, and Ildefons Simo all stepped down simultaneously for reasons that remain unclear. Their departure comes less than a year after the regulator underwent a major restructuring. Formerly known as the Curaçao Gaming Control Board, the agency was rebranded as the Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA) in late 2024, promising stronger supervision, transparency, and technological modernization. The goal was to dispel persistent allegations of impropriety and demonstrate that Curaçao was serious about enforcing international compliance standards.

As recently as July, the CGA had reaffirmed its commitment to tackling illegal online gambling and to ensuring licensed operators met higher regulatory benchmarks. However, the mass resignations have thrown the agency into disarray. With no board currently in place, oversight of the sector has effectively ground to a halt, raising concerns among industry observers about governance, accountability, and the stability of existing license holders.

Officially, the CGA still falls under the authority of the Ministry of Finance, led by Minister Javier Silvania. Yet Silvania’s own position appears increasingly tenuous. He has reportedly been absent from key CGA management meetings amid a public dispute with senior civil servant Alfonso Trona and ongoing allegations of corruption. These controversies have weakened his political standing and left a power vacuum at the top of the regulatory structure.

In response, Prime Minister Gilmar Pisas is said to have stepped in directly, assuming a crisis management role and overseeing CGA operations on an interim basis. All communications from the regulator are now reportedly being handled through the Prime Minister’s office.

Further complicating matters, the CGA’s official legal status remains uncertain. Despite its high-profile relaunch, the authority has not yet been formally listed in Curaçao’s Chamber of Commerce register. The combination of administrative confusion, political tension, and regulatory paralysis has cast doubt over the future of the island’s gambling reform agenda and its ability to maintain international confidence in the sector’s integrity.