Curaçao Court Orders Return of €90,000 to German Player After Legal Dispute

A court in Curaçao has determined that the operator Ngame, based on the island, is obliged to return over €90,000 in losses to a player residing in Germany. The ruling, final after years of litigation, establishes a precedent regarding the enforceability of European decisions in Caribbean jurisdictions linked to the European Union.

BLUF: Ngame must reimburse German player for gambling conducted without local license

The Joint Court of Justice of Curaçao concluded that the operator Ngame, without a license in Germany at the time of betting in 2023, must refund €94,999.83 to the player. The ruling followed the transfer of the original decision, issued in Baden-Baden, Germany, to Curaçao, and Ngame's subsequent refusal to acknowledge it.

Details of the Legal Case: Germany, Curaçao and the Annulment of Gambling Contracts

The controversy began in 2023, when a German court ruled in favor of the player on the grounds that, lacking a local license, the gambling contract with Ngame was null. Ngame appealed this decision and opposed enforcement in Curaçao, arguing the unenforceability of foreign judgments. However, the Joint Court of Justice confirmed that, being Curaçao part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, judgments from EU jurisdictions—such as Germany—can be enforced on the island.

"Public Order" Defense and Comparison with Malta

The operator Ngame attempted to reject enforcement, claiming that the reimbursement violated Curaçao's public order. The judges dismissed this argument, in contrast to Malta, where the recent Law 55 (Article 56A) allows judges to deny enforcement of foreign judgments for public order reasons—a mechanism currently under review by the EU. While Malta has seen thousands of claims for reimbursement mainly from Germany and Austria, Curaçao is only beginning to face this phenomenon.

"The legal reasoning in Malta stems from the enormous dependency of its economy on the online gaming sector," the article quotes, summarizing the logic behind the Maltese defense.

Regulatory Context in Curaçao: Reforms and License Oversight

The government of Curaçao has tightened its stance regarding operators who do not comply with international standards. Until recently, the "master license" regime allowed only four holders to sub-license thousands of operators, which frequently led to mentions on blacklists in Europe. The administration acknowledged the lack of oversight regarding the actual number of operators and the low tax revenues collected. This may have influenced the current judiciary's reluctance to protect active operators in gray or unregulated markets during that time.

Implications for the Sector and Next Steps

The claim against Ngame is the second of its kind resolved in recent months, following a similar decision against Raging Rhino N.V. in June 2026. The case focuses on the viability of future enforcement of European judgments and possibly anticipates a higher volume of claims in Curaçao from European players.

Ngame, which operated under the old regulatory framework, received a temporary license under the new regime, which expired in March 2026. An evaluation of its status by the Curaçao Gaming Authority is currently underway. The handling of this and other similar cases could influence Curaçao's compliance perception with regulators and international markets.