🇧🇪Belgium gambling regulation

Legal framework at a glance

Belgium regulates gambling under the Federal Act of 7 May 1999 on games of chance, betting, gaming establishments and player protection (the Gaming Act), substantially amended in 2010, 2019 and 2024. The model is one of “channelling”: gambling is prohibited unless licensed, and the number of licences is capped. Lotteries fall under separate legislation, with the National Lottery holding the public lottery monopoly.

The regulator

The Gaming Commission (Kansspelcommissie in Dutch, Commission des jeux de hasard in French) licenses and supervises operators, advises government and keeps the EPIS exclusion register. It also maintains a blacklist of illegal gambling websites. In October 2025 the federal Council of Ministers approved a bill to move the Commission from the Justice ministry to the Ministry of Economic Affairs; watch for its implementation.

Licensing

Belgium links online gambling to the land-based market. An online licence is a supplementary ”+” licence attached to a land-based one:

Licence	Activity	Cap
A+	Online casino games	9 (one per land-based casino)
B+	Online arcade-style games	180
F1+	Online betting	30

Since 2024, different licence types can no longer be combined on one website, so casino and betting products must be offered on separate sites. The licensing model is covered in more depth in gambling licensing models.

Online products — what is and isn’t legal

Online casino games, poker and sports betting are legal through the licensed channel. Online bonuses, free bets, split player accounts and transfers between accounts are banned. Unlicensed gambling is a criminal offence for operators, with fines that can reach several hundred thousand euros; prison penalties for these offences were abolished in 2024.

Taxation

Gambling tax is a regional matter. For online games of chance and betting, Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels apply the same rate: 11% of the gross margin. Since 2024 the regional games tax is no longer deductible as a business expense, a change the Constitutional Court upheld in October 2025. Players’ lottery winnings are tax-exempt. See gambling taxation compared.

Advertising and marketing rules

Belgium has one of Europe’s strictest advertising regimes. A royal decree of 27 February 2023 introduced a general ban from 1 July 2023, and the 2024 amendments placed the ban in the Gaming Act itself. Remaining exceptions are narrow: business-to-business communication, an operator’s own website and social accounts, search results, in-venue promotion and tightly limited sports sponsorship. Advertising inside stadiums ended in 2025, and most remaining sports sponsorship is scheduled to end in 2028. Personalised advertising, ads aimed at vulnerable groups and ads featuring real people or fictional characters are prohibited. See gambling advertising rules.

Player-protection requirements

• Minimum age 21 for all games of chance and betting, online and offline.
• Deposit limit: a default cap of €200 per week applies across online licensees; players can request a higher limit, which requires checks.
• EPIS checks at every entry or login.
• Identity verification expanded in 2025 and 2026 to more land-based outlets, such as newsagents taking bets.
• Self-exclusion and limits must be offered by every online licensee.

Self-exclusion

EPIS is free, covers online and offline gambling and lifts only after a three-month wait once you ask. See our Belgium self-exclusion manual for step-by-step instructions.

Enforcement against unlicensed operators

The Commission’s blacklist obliges internet service providers to block listed sites, and visitors are redirected to a warning page. Since June 2024 the president of the Brussels Enterprise Court can issue cease-and-desist orders, including urgent ones, against illegal operators and intermediaries such as platforms and app stores. Despite this, the Commission identified a sharp rise in illegal sites in 2023, and industry argues the advertising ban has pushed some players offshore. See payment blocking and ISP blocking.

What this means for players

For players in Belgium, the rules are among the most protective in Europe, but they only apply to licensed sites. A legal site holds a Gaming Commission licence, carries a .be address in most cases and checks EPIS at login. Practical points:

• Age: anyone under 21 should be refused by every licensed casino, arcade and betting site, online or offline.
• Deposit cap: the default €200 weekly limit is a useful brake. If you find yourself wanting to raise it, treat that as a warning sign rather than an inconvenience; see warning signs of problem gambling.
• No bonuses: licensed sites may not offer bonuses or free bets. A site offering a large welcome bonus to Belgian players is almost certainly unlicensed.
• Separate sites: casino and betting products must now be offered on separate websites, so the same brand may run more than one site.
• Family concerns: a partner or relative who is worried can ask the Commission for a third-party ban, supported by evidence such as bank statements. Our guide on supporting a partner or family member covers how to approach the conversation first.

Because illegal sites do not check EPIS, pairing an exclusion with blocking software and a bank block gives far better protection than either alone.

Recent developments and what to watch

• Regulator move: the planned transfer of the Gaming Commission to the Economy ministry.
• Gaming Act overhaul: the 2025 federal coalition agreement promises a broader update and stronger action against illegal gambling.
• Court challenges: constitutional and Council of State challenges to parts of the 2024 rules.
• Sponsorship: the 2028 end date for most sports sponsorship.

For free help, see our Belgium help directory. This page is general information, not legal advice.