Key takeaways
A leak from the Curaçao Gaming Authority named about 800 owners of 646 licensed gambling firms.
An outside account sat in the regulator's licence portal for about nine months, from December 2025.
The regulator's own notes show it granted some licences while doubts about the real owners were still open.
Reporting says staff questioned the named owners of Stake and 1xBet, and both got a licence anyway.
Fourteen of the 31 casinos we cover for Canada hold a Curaçao licence.
The leaked files are about casino owners. The reports so far describe no player accounts.
A leak from the Curaçao Gaming Authority shows who owns hundreds of offshore casinos. It also shows the regulator gave out licences while it still had open questions about some owners. Fourteen of the 31 casinos we cover for Canada hold a Curaçao licence.
The files are about casino owners, not players. The reports so far do not describe any player accounts. But the leak tells you how much a Curaçao licence really checks.
About 800
Casino owners named in the leaked licence files.
646
Licensed gambling firms linked to those owners.
9 months
How long the outside account stayed in the licence portal.
14 of 31
Casinos we cover for Canada that hold a Curaçao licence.
What happened
Curaçao is a small island in the Caribbean. It is home to a big share of the world's offshore online casinos. Its regulator, the Curaçao Gaming Authority, runs a web portal where firms apply for a licence.
The regulator says an account made under a false name got into that portal in December 2025. The account stayed for about nine months. The regulator found it and shut it in September 2026.
On 17 September the regulator said the access was contained. On 22 September a Berlin researcher, Lilith Wittmann, said she was behind it. News teams in the Netherlands, Norway, Germany, Austria and Sweden then published a joint probe called "Casino Secrets".
What the files show
The files hold licence forms, owner details and the regulator's own notes. They cover about 1,350 licence applications from 111 countries.
The big story is not the hack. It is what the notes say. In several cases, staff flagged serious doubts and the licence was granted anyway.
Here is what the reporting says about three well known brands:
- Stake. Staff asked whether the owner named on the forms was the only real owner. They pointed to large payments to people who were not named. The licence was granted.
- 1xBet. Staff suspected more owners than the one on the forms. They asked about links to the brand's Russian founders. The licence was granted in 2024 without those answers.
- Qbet. The Dutch regulator fined its operator about €25 million in 2024 for serving Dutch players with no Dutch licence.
The regulator told reporters it granted some licences while "questions or uncertainty" remained. It said this happened during the move to its new 2024 licence law.
Why a Curaçao licence is a weak promise
A licence is meant to tell you someone checked who runs the casino. The leak shows that check can be thin. A name on a form does not always mean the regulator knows who is in charge.
That matters when something goes wrong. If a casino holds your payout, you need a body that will act. A regulator that did not settle who owns a firm is poorly placed to push that firm.
None of the 31 casinos we cover answers to a Canadian gaming body. Our guide to crypto casino licences explains what each offshore licence does and does not cover.
Where the 31 casinos we cover are licensed
The table sorts every casino we cover for Canada by the licence it shows.
| Licence | Casinos | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Curaçao | 14 | The regulator in this leak |
| Anjouan | 11 | Newer offshore licence, similar light checks |
| Tobique | 1 | Offshore licence from a Canadian First Nation |
| Company papers only | 1 | No gambling licence named |
| No licence shown | 4 | Nothing to check at all |
The 14 Curaçao casinos are 1xCasino, 7Bit Casino, BitStarz, Cloudbet, Jack.com, KatsuBet, Lucky Ones, Mirax Casino, MyStake, Roobet, Shuffle, Sportsbet.io, Stake and Thunderpick. Stake is the only one the reporting names so far.
What to do if you play at a Curaçao casino
You do not need to close your account because of this leak. Your own data is not part of the story as reported. But treat the licence as a small plus, not a safety net.
- Find the licence number in the casino's site footer. It starts with OGL for the current Curaçao licence.
- Check that number on the regulator's own site, not on the casino's badge.
- Keep your balance low. Cash out wins soon, not in one large sum at the end.
- Read the ID check and payout rules before you deposit, since those decide how fast you get paid.
- Save chats and emails. If a payout stalls, a paper trail is your best tool.
The leak does not make any single casino unsafe overnight. It shows that a Curaçao badge tells you less than it looks. Judge a casino on how it pays, not on the seal in its footer.
Frequently asked questions
Was my player data in the Curaçao leak?
The reports so far describe licence files: owner details, company forms and the regulator's notes. None of them describe player accounts. The regulator says it will contact anyone it finds was affected.
Is a Curaçao-licensed casino still safe to use?
The leak does not change how any one casino pays. It shows the licence checks were weaker than they look. Judge a casino on its payout rules and record, and keep your balance low.
Which casinos in Canada hold a Curaçao licence?
Fourteen of the 31 we cover: 1xCasino, 7Bit Casino, BitStarz, Cloudbet, Jack.com, KatsuBet, Lucky Ones, Mirax Casino, MyStake, Roobet, Shuffle, Sportsbet.io, Stake and Thunderpick.
Who was behind the Curaçao Gaming Authority leak?
Berlin researcher Lilith Wittmann said on 22 September 2026 that she was behind it. The regulator says the account was made under a false name in December 2025 and shut in September 2026.
How do I check a Curaçao casino licence?
Find the licence number in the casino's site footer. The current Curaçao licence numbers start with OGL. Look the number up on the regulator's own site, not through the badge on the casino's page.
Does a Curaçao licence protect players in Canada?
Only a little. None of the 31 casinos we cover answers to a Canadian gaming body. If a payout stalls, an offshore regulator is a slow and uncertain route to help.
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