The Belgian Gaming Commission is one of the strictest regulatory bodies in Europe. Find out more about which games of chance are permitted in Belgium and which licenses are needed for online casinos to provide their services.
Despite of it being illegal to gamble at online casinos in several European countries, there are still a number of online casinos that operate successfully because the market is not regulated as it should be. Belgium, on the other hand, has made sure to blacklist and keep blocking operators that work without a license from publicly offering their services on the internet. For any gaming operator to receive a license, they need to have a land-based establishment in the country and thus be eligible to offer their services to Belgian citizens, otherwise they will be fined up to €100,000.
In all matters concerning gambling and issuing license, the Belgian Gaming Commission has the final word. In the case a company or even a player breaks one of the laws of the Gambling Act, they will be heavily fined. This can result from either the casino offering its services to Belgian players, or a player playing at an unlicensed casino. The role of the commission is not to complicate things for operators or prevent players from gambling, but to make gaming safer and protect the players.
Casino operators need to have a land-based operation in Belgium in order to receive an online operating license and offer its services to Belgian citizens. Before, there were only nine land-based casinos that received a license to operate in Belgium, but as of 2011, when the Belgian Gaming Act was passed, were three different licenses for operators were introduced. Now, land-based casinos can apply for an online license or enter a partnership with an online casinos and offer the site’s services in Belgium. In order to operate with a license, online casinos need to have their servers in Belgium and offer the same games at their online casinos as they do at their land-based casinos.
Fines for both operators and players are quite steep. Operators can be fined anywhere from €100 to €100,000 for operating without a license, while players can receive a fine up to €25,000. Players are supposed to know the gaming laws of the country and it is their responsibility to inquire whether a casino has an operating license or not, and if it is blacklisted or not. The Belgian Gaming Commission is supposed to make gaming more enjoyable while at the same time protecting its citizens from being taken advantage of by fraudulent establishments.
The Belgian Gaming Commission regulates all type of games of chance, which includes both land-based and online casinos.
No! The Belgian Gaming Commission requires all online casinos to have their servers in Belgium to be able to receive an operating license.
To make sure, check for a license issued by the Belgian Gaming Commission.
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