Project Governance
The establishment of the Sint Maarten Gambling Authority is a government project with a formal governance structure. This page describes how the project is steered, who decides what, and how it fits within the wider reform agreements between Sint Maarten and the Netherlands. For the substance of the reform — why it is needed and what it will change — see the Gambling Sector Reform page.
Please note: The Sint Maarten Gambling Authority is in the process of being established, pending the adoption of the National Gambling Ordinance (Kansspelenverordening). The governance structure described on this page is transitional and applies exclusively to the implementation phase.
On 22 December 2020, Sint Maarten and the Netherlands signed the mutual arrangement for the implementation of the Country Package (Landspakket) Sint Maarten: a broad program of reforms and investments aimed at a resilient economy and society. Its agreements are elaborated in a joint Implementation Agenda (Uitvoeringsagenda), which is updated periodically, with progress reported publicly. The Country Package covers four themes:
The Netherlands supports the implementation of the Country Package through the Temporary Work Organization (Tijdelijke Werkorganisatie, TWO), established within the Dutch Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK). For the gambling sector reform, the TWO also draws on subject-matter expertise from other Dutch ministries, notably the Ministry of Justice and Security, and on the expertise network of the Dutch gambling regulator.
Government & Finances
Economic Reforms
Health Care & Education
Strengthening the Rule of Law
More information
TWO St. Maarten — the Country Package and the Implementation Agenda of Sint Maarten (official TWO website, in English)
Implementation Agenda and Implementation Report — the periodically updated agenda and public progress reporting, including Measure H.2
Measure H.2: Reforming the Gambling Sector
Measure H.2 of the Country Package addresses the gambling sector specifically: Sint Maarten will establish a robust regulatory body with strict control and effective enforcement powers, overseeing lotteries, casinos and online gambling.
The current project — the modernization of the gambling legislation and the establishment of the Sint Maarten Gambling Authority — is the implementation of this measure. The preparation is carried out by Sint Maarten, with project support and financing arranged through the Country Package cooperation. The longer-term objective is a self-sustaining model: once operational, the Gambling Authority is intended to become cost-covering, financed through fees and levies from the regulated sector rather than the general budget.
In June 2026, the Council of Ministers of Sint Maarten approved the governance structure for the implementation project. This structure is transitional: it applies to the implementation phase only, pending the enactment and entry into force of the Kansspelenverordening, and all decisions operate within existing legal and institutional mandates.
Governance structure at a glance
Council of Ministers
Escalation level
Steering Committee
Ministers of TEATT (Chair), VSA and Finance
Strategic authority
H2 Project Director
Connecting link between governance layers
and between both tracks
Implementation track
Kwartiermaker
Project Leader — day-to-day execution
Implementation Team
Interministerial — TEATT, VSA, Finance, legal advisory
Legislative track
Legislative Workgroup
Chaired by the Head of the Department of Economy, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT)
Kansspelenverordening
Legislative development & policy coordination
Stakeholder Engagement
Consultative layer — sector, civil society, institutional stakeholders
Strategic direction rests with a Steering Committee composed of the Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT), who chairs the committee, the Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor (VSA), and the Minister of Finance. The Steering Committee takes strategic decisions and approvals, aligns resources across ministries, and resolves conflicts. Where consensus cannot be reached on matters involving cross-ministerial policy, strategic direction, resource allocation or institutional responsibilities, the matter is escalated to the Council of Ministers.
The H2 Project Director, positioned within the existing governmental structure, is the connecting link in the governance model. The Project Director ensures coordination between the governance layers, supports escalation, maintains inter-ministerial alignment, and acts as the primary counterpart to the Kwartiermaker — without replacing the formal authority of the Steering Committee. The Project Director also participates in the legislative Workgroup as a permanent coordination member, ensuring alignment between the legislative and implementation tracks.
Since April 2026, a Kwartiermaker (Project Leader for the implementation) has been working within the Ministry of TEATT to prepare the establishment of the Gambling Authority. The Kwartiermaker is responsible for day-to-day execution and delivery: deliverables, timelines and risk management. The Kwartiermaker chairs the Implementation Team, prepares decision memos for the governance layers above, and coordinates stakeholder engagement in alignment with the Project Director.
Operational delivery is carried out by an interministerial Implementation Team, whose members are formally designated by their respective ministries — TEATT, VSA and Finance, supported by legal advisory capacity. Team members carry delegated coordination and implementation responsibilities within their own domains; these responsibilities remain subject to the respective ministerial mandates and do not constitute independent statutory, supervisory or regulatory authority.
The legislative track — the development of the Kansspelenverordening and the related regulatory framework — is the responsibility of a dedicated Workgroup, chaired by the Head of the Department of Economy, Transport and Telecommunication of the Ministry of TEATT. The Workgroup handles legislative development, policy coordination and business case review. It does not exercise authority over implementation decisions; legislative or policy matters requiring strategic direction are escalated to the Steering Committee.
Structured stakeholder engagement accompanies both tracks: periodic consultation, information-sharing sessions and thematic meetings with governmental entities, civil society organizations, subject-matter experts and representatives of the gambling sector. This engagement is consultative and documented; it does not replace formal governmental decision-making or the responsibilities of the Steering Committee.
Phase 1 — Institutional Design and Setup
Development of the governance structure, implementation planning, institutional design, and initial operational frameworks.
Phase 2 — Organizational Build-Up
Development of organizational capacity, core processes, staffing preparation, financial frameworks, and operational infrastructure.
Phase 3 — Operational Readiness
Finalization of operational procedures, systems, implementation coordination, training, and readiness preparations.
Phase 4 — Initial Operations: Licensing
Initial operational deployment of the Gambling Authority, with a primary focus on licensing activities and a controlled market transition.
Phase 5 — Full Operations: Supervision and Enforcement
Transition toward full operational supervision, enforcement, and compliance monitoring by the Gambling Authority.
Progression toward the operational phases is explicitly subject to the enactment and entry into force of the Kansspelenverordening and any applicable subordinate legislation. No statutory licensing, supervisory or enforcement powers of the future Gambling Authority will be exercised before its legal establishment. Operationalization decisions are taken by the Steering Committee, based on agreed readiness criteria and legal development milestones.
For the substance of the reform, see the Gambling Sector Reform page.