Sint Maarten gambling draft defers online-casino rules as consultation opens

Sint Maarten opened public consultation on a new Gambling Ordinance on 26 October, but the draft does not create an online-casino licensing regime. Its internet-gambling section is reserved for later work, leaving the most obvious player-protection gap untouched for now.

The consultation runs until 4 December. The government’s consultation page says the draft can still change and that no rights can be derived from it. The proposed law would create the legal basis for the Sint Maarten Gambling Authority and introduce licensing, supervision, enforcement and player-protection rules for the gambling activities it regulates.

Those protections are concrete. The draft bans misleading or aggressive gambling advertising, including promotions that make a consumer think they have already won a prize when they have not. It also requires licensed operators to publish information on game rules, prize payments and consumer protection.

But online gambling is not yet covered by the new framework. Section 3.4 of the explanatory memorandum says internet gambling needs further policy work and an implementation test before regulation can be introduced. The draft ordinance itself marks the internet-gambling section as “[Reserved].” The memorandum says the government still needs to determine the legal, financial and supervisory conditions needed for effective online regulation.

That distinction matters because the future regulator has no legal powers today. Its own FAQ says it cannot currently issue licences, supervise operators, enforce rules or handle player complaints. The consultation therefore should not be read as evidence that Sint Maarten has launched a new online licensing system or a new route for recovering disputed casino funds.

The draft also proposes repealing the *Landsverordening buitengaatse hazardspelen*, the offshore gambling ordinance. That is only a proposal. The explanatory memorandum says the timing of any repeal must account for any still-licensed offering and the transition arrangements required.

For players, the useful fact is simple: Sint Maarten has put a stronger gambling framework on the table, but online casino regulation remains unfinished. Until legislation is adopted and brought into force, the draft changes neither current licences nor player rights.