Before we jump into the details of the licences and the gambling laws in Belgium, we will provide you with the opportunity to pick the place you want to start from. There might be facts that you are aware of already. Use the navigation below and steer through the Belgium gambling laws the way you feel suitable.
Gambling Laws in Belgium – The Active Gambling Acts
Online gambling in BE was not regulated before 2011, even when the legal framework in the country has had several active acts already – the Lotteries Act 1851, the Gaming Act 1999 (amended twice), the National Lottery Act 2002, and a set of Royal Decrees. They are functioning now as well.
With the gaming world evolving, the country decided to modify its Gaming Act in 2010. That way, Belgium adopted a licensing regime for online gambling. Since then, each online operator has been required to have a licence. That part of legal online gambling in BE is in the jurisdiction of their gambling licensing authority – the Belgium Gambling Comission.
- Lotteries Act 1851
- Gaming Act 1999
- National Lottery Act 2002
- Online Gambling 2011
The Gambling Commission was formed in 1999 under the Gaming Act. It is responsible for the gambling industry in Belgium. The BGC protects players and controls the licences that have been granted in the country. The Commission developed a system of additional permits concerning local and foreign companies that wish to operate online casino sites in BE. One of them, for example, allows existing land-based gaming establishments with a licence to apply for an additional one to offer their games virtually. Check the rest of the licences below.
Legal Gambling in BE – Required Licences
When discussing virtual legal gambling in BE, we should mention one essential aspect of the laws – each online operator must relate to a licensed land-based casino. That is the only way the company can expand its services. The required licences for that are A, B and F or – casino (A)2, amusement arcade (slot hall, B) and bookmaker (F).
That part 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 in that part from Belgium. Still, the country evolves and comes closer to the top gambling destinations in Europe. There is no connection between land-based and online casinos in many of them, like in BE.
Even with all the restrictions, new companies manage to enter the legal online gambling in BE. The latest foreign operator who managed to do that and offer a wide variety of gaming products is bwin. One of the legislations allows online casinos to enter the country and obtain a permit if they manage to work together with a local gaming establishment.
In that line of thoughts, bwin partnered with Belcasinos, a subsidiary of Group Partouche, and secured an A+ online casino licence through them. Despite the cumbersome licensing system, Belgium is considered a wealthy country and is targeted by many foreign online casinos. The gambling laws in other countries include heavy regulations as well,
Different Legal Licences Issued by the BGC
When conducting our blog on Belgium gambling laws, we found an exciting approach by local casinos. Many operators in BE have decided to ‘lease’ their licence to well-known international companies. That is good for both sides, given the circumstances. As we have mentioned earlier, obtaining local permits can be very hard.
Still, the reason for such rental 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:
- Licence A – for gambling establishments class I: casinos.
- Licence B – for gambling establishments class II: slot machine arcades.
- Licence C – for gambling establishments class III: drinking establishments.
- Class D Permit – for the personnel working in a casino, slot machine or betting office.
- Licence E – for the leasing, sale, rental, supply, import, export, provision, production and services of repair, maintenance, and equipment of games of chance.
- F1 licence – for bet organisers.
- Licence F2 – for gambling establishments class IV: betting offices.
- Licence G1 – for television games.
- Licence G2 – for games of chance via other media (radio games and games via the printed press).
Any legal online gambling in BE requires an active permit issued by the BGC. You need to follow a procedure to apply for such a document and set up any sort of virtual gaming business in the country. That is pretty much how a common procedure of how to open a casino starts.
For operating an online casino gambling website in Belgium, you need an A+ or a B+ licence. If you are offering sports betting services, you need an additional F+ grant. Remember that these extensions are only available to companies already in possession of brick & mortar A, B, or F permits.
Legal Online Gambling in BE – 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:
| 🥇 The First Royal Decree | 🥇 The First Royal Decree |
|---|---|
| Name | Creditworthiness and Fiscal Obligations |
| Structure | Security of Payment Transaction |
| Headquarters of the Website | Accessibility of Games of Chance for Socially Vulnerable Groups |
| Points of Contact | Complaints Procedures |
| Administration Party | Advertisement Policy |
Applicants must also pay for security before receiving any permit. The amount of this safety 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.
Restrictions and Belgian Legal Gambling Age
Let’s start with one of the most crucial prohibitions within legal gambling in BE – 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 more youthful than 18 years of age. The BE Royal Decree introduced three categories of rules:
- 📋 General rules concerning the online games of chance and bets.
- ⭐ Rules on advertising.
- ✍️ Rules on player registration, age verification and identification.
The rules are stringent, and any operator providing gambling services 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 Belgium Gambling Commission wanted to add social gaming apps to that same list. Very often, they attract the younger market. In case you are interested in the blocked websites, check the blacklist available on the BGC website.
Future of the BE Gambling Laws
While the approach of the gambling laws in Belgium is relatively prosperous, it might also 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 way forward nearly 10 years after its implementation.
If the land-based links were lifted, online gaming platforms would offer a broader range of gaming titles. Who knows, even the best online casinos in the world might step on the Belgian gambling market. It would also be possible for casino giants such as Casumo and Mr Green to enter the BE market. The only question in mind is whether the current online sites would be able to compete.
FAQ
We managed to cover many aspects of the Belgium gambling laws. We have mentioned licences, applications, rules, reasons for blacklisted websites and the vital Belgian legal gambling age. Still, additional questions are expected as a normal part of the process. This section is filled with commonly seen enquiries about the gambling laws in Belgium.