Belgium Gambling Laws – Legal Gaming, Licences & Regulations

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An Overview of Gambling Laws in Belgium

Most gambling activities in Belgium are permitted under the Act of 7 May 1999, otherwise referred to as the Gaming Act. The Gambling Act 1999 was amended in 2010 and 2019. A further set of Royal Decrees have further amended the law. The legislation defines all games of chance, including casino games, sports betting, and lotteries. It also founded the Belgium Gambling Commission to license and regulate legal gambling in Belgium.

Belgium gambling laws follow the principle that gambling is prohibited unless expressly authorised. Other gambling legislation includes the Lotteries Act 1851, which provides a state monopoly on lottery games, and the National Lottery Act 2002, which permits online lottery ticket sales. Here are the main gambling laws in Belgium.

With the gaming world evolving, the country modified its Gaming Act in 2010. The law came into effect in 2011. Before this date, online gambling was not regulated in BE. Under the new rules, Belgium adopted a licensing regime for online gambling. Under the new rules, land-based gambling licence holders could also apply for a licence to provide legal online gambling sites in Belgium.

BE Online Gambling Laws and Regulations

The Gaming Act 1999 was modified in 2010 to allow for the licensing and regulation of online gambling in Belgium. Licensed land-based gaming and betting operators could apply for a “+” licence to provide online services. In 2019, another Royal Decree was enacted, which introduced significant changes to BE online gaming laws. Here are the key amendments to Belgium gambling law introduced in 2019:

An operator can only apply for an online gambling licence if it already holds a licence to offer land-based gambling. BE gambling laws allow only 9 A licence casino venues. Therefore, a maximum of nine online casinos can operate in the country. However, a total of 180 B licences can be granted in Belgium. This licence allows the operation of slot machine arcades. B licence holders can also apply for a + licence to provide online slot games.

Regulation by the Belgian Gaming Commission

The Gambling Commission (Kansspelcommissie) was formed in 1999 under the Gaming Act. It is responsible for overseeing the gambling industry in Belgium. The BGC protects players and controls the licences granted in the country. It aims to keep gambling safe and crime-free. The Belgium Gambling Commission advises the Government and Parliament on all gambling and player protection matters. Here are some key details about the BGC:

The Commission developed a system of additional permits for local and foreign companies that wish to operate online gambling sites in BE. One of them, for example, allows existing land-based gaming establishments with a licence to apply for an additional permit to offer their games virtually. Read on to learn more about BE legal gambling licences.

Legal Gambling in BE – Required Licences

When discussing legal gambling online in Belgium, we should mention one essential aspect of the law – each online operator must hold a land-based gambling licence. That is the only way the company can expand its services and provide online gaming. The operators eligible to offer legal online gambling sites in Belgium are holders of an A, B or F licence. In other words, casinos (A), amusement arcades/slot halls (B) and bookmakers (F).

This aspect of the gambling laws in Belgium creates a lot of issues for foreign online casino operators – they lack a land-based partner. The gaming laws in other European countries differ generally from those enacted in Belgium. Still, the country’s gambling industry is evolving and could soon rival other countries to become one of the top gambling destinations in Europe. There is no connection between land-based and online casinos in many of them, unlike in Belgium.

Despite all the restrictions, new companies have managed to enter the legal internet gambling market in Belgium. The latest foreign operator who managed to do that is bwin. The BE online gambling laws allow foreign online casino operators to enter the Belgian market if they partner with a local gaming establishment.

Based on that prinicple, bwin partnered with Belcasinos, a subsidiary of Group Partouche, and secured an A+ online casino licence through them. Belgium is considered a wealthy country, so despite the cumbersome licensing system, it is targeted by many foreign online casinos. The gambling laws in other countries include heavy regulations, similar to those in BE.

Different Gambling Licences Issued by the BGC

Various locally licensed casinos have taken an innovative approach to offering online services. Many operators in BE have decided to ‘lease’ their licence to well-known international companies. That is good for both sides, and conforms to the requirements of Belgium gambling laws. As mentioned earlier, obtaining local permits can be very hard.

Still, the reason for such partnership agreements is simple – an international party will pay a lot of money to enter the market. That way, BE operators will have more revenue than when they operate an online legal website themselves. Here are the 9 different licences in the country that the BGC can issue:

Any legal online gambling in Belgium requires an active permit issued by the BGC. Operators must follow a procedure to apply for a licence and set up any sort of virtual gaming business in the country. Applying for a licence is one of the first steps in how to open a casino.

To operate an online casino gaming website in Belgium, the company must hold an A+ or a B+ licence. An operator must hold an F+ licence to offer sports betting online. Remember that these extensions are only available to companies already in possession of brick & mortar A, B, or F permits.

Legal Online Gambling Licence Application Procedure

In 2011, the gambling laws in Belgium added two royal decrees as the regulatory framework for online games of chance. The first prescribes the necessary application document for the additional licence, how it must be submitted and verified. The Gaming Commission will process such applications within six months of receipt. The second sets the quality requirements, which must be met by the applicant. Here is what each of the two contains as obligatory stages:

Applicants must also pay for security before receiving any permit. The cost varies, depending on the type of licence. The casinos pay the operational costs of the Gaming Commission through an annual licensing fee. The applicant is also responsible for establishing a permanent data connection between its website and the BGC. Online grants have the same duration as their land-based counterparts.

Blacklisted Online Gambling Sites

The gambling rules are strict, and any operator providing gambling services without a valid licence and from a website lacking a .be domain can be blocked. Over the years, there have been a series of sites placed on the BE blacklist. The BGC website features a blacklist with all blocked websites. The Gaming Commission has created the Always Play Legally campaign with a view to educating players on the importance of playing only on licensed and legal gambling sites in Belgium.

Belgian Legal Gambling Age

As with most gambling regulations, one of the most important legal requirements listed in the country’s gambling laws is the Belgian legal gambling age. People younger than 21 years of age are not allowed to access online casino games or gaming arcades. Online betting is forbidden for minors or players under 18 years of age. Here is a summary of the BE gambling legal age by product:

The protection of minors and prevention of underaged gambling are core principles of the Belgian Gaming Commission’s role. The gambling laws include measures to ensure young people are denied access to real money gambling. You must provide proof of age to access a land-based casino, gaming arcade, or betting location. Likewise, you will be required to provide an identity document to verify your age when registering an account at legal online gambling sites in Belgium.

The Latest Updates to BE Gambling Law

In recent years, gambling regulations in Belgium have been changed several times. The Belgian Gaming Commission has made various recommendations regarding existing legislation. The Government introduced a raft of new amendments in 2022. Here are some of the most recent amendments to BE gambling laws approved by the Belgian Government:

Restrictions on Bookmaking Services Offered at Newsagents

In March 2022, the BE Government introduced new restrictions on sports betting times, stakes, and advertising at newsagents. Under the new rules, newsagents can accept bets only between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. Total stakes must not exceed €250,000 at any outlet. Furthermore, betting revenue is capped at 20% of the retailer’s annual turnover.

Each newsagent must limit its advertising space to no more than three square meters inside and outside the premises. Plus, the total retail betting space in each location must not exceed one-fifth of the overall floor space, with a maximum limit of 10 square meters in total. These changes impact the 1,543 newsagents offering legal sports betting in Belgium.

A Ban on Gambling Advertising

A gambling advertising ban was first put forward on 10 May 2022. It was met with widespread criticism across the industry. Regardless, in March 2023, the Belgian Government announced a ban on gambling advertising from 1 July 2023. The ban applies to all types of advertising from the country’s land-based and online gambling organisations. The Belgian National Lottery is the only exception to the advertising ban.

The restrictions on gambling advertising will have immediate effect from 1 July 2023. However, a transition period will apply to the sports betting industry. From 1 January 2025, advertising of sports betting will be banned in stadiums. From 1 January 2028, gambling operators will no longer be permitted to sponsor sports teams.

Separate Accounts for Online Casino Gaming and Sports Betting

In 2021, the Constitutional Court in Belgium ruled that licensed online gambling operators must offer casino games on a different domain to sports betting. However, players could use a single account for all gambling products offered by an operator. In April 2022, the Government announced plans to require players to register for separate accounts for online betting and casino gaming.

The impending ban has been slammed by the Belgian Association of Gaming Operators (BAGO). The operator body has argued that the proposal could seriously threaten consumer protection, given that players could lose control of their spending if they need to keep track of multiple accounts.

Online Gambling Deposit Limits Lowered

In July 2022, the Belgian Government published a royal decree introducing a new lower deposit limit for online gambling. From 20 October, the deposit limit of €500 would be reduced to €200 a week per licensed website. Players can request to lift the limit, but operators must verify that the player is not registered as a defaulter with the Central Individual Credit Office of the National Bank.

Future of the BE Gambling Laws

While the approach of the legal gambling in Belgium is relatively prosperous, the laws might prove to be a little outdated due to the shift from land-based to online gambling establishments. The BGC is known to be re-assessing the land-based connection. The aim is to keep the best interests of the country and consumers moving forward .

If the land-based links were lifted, online gaming platforms could offer a broader range of gaming titles. Who knows, even the best online casinos in the world might step into the Belgian gambling market. It would also be possible for casino giants to enter the BE market, providing more choice for players. The only question in mind is whether the current online sites would be able to compete.

FAQ

We have covered many aspects of the Belgium gambling laws in this review. We have mentioned licences, applications, rules, reasons for blacklisted websites and the minimum gambling age. Still, additional questions are expected. This section is filled with the most common enquiries about the gambling laws in Belgium.