Casinos also bring customers to restaurants and bars: what does that mean for Belgium? 

A night at the casino does not necessarily end at the gaming table. Visitors may eat on the way, have a drink nearby or book an overnight stay. New British research highlights this economic interaction. It is also a relevant topic for Belgium, although the British figures cannot simply be applied directly. 

A restaurant before the casino, a drink afterwards and a taxi back to the hotel. People going out for the evening often spend money in several places. According to new research presented by the British Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), nearby businesses also benefit from casino visitors. 

Of those surveyed, 41.1% said they would have stayed at home without the casino visit. In addition, 72.1% said they had used at least one other local business during their visit. 

The industry sees this as evidence that land-based casinos play a broader economic role. For Belgium, the research mainly raises an interesting question: how much activity do casinos generate beyond their own premises? 

Four in ten visitors would have stayed at home 

The findings were presented on 14 October during a Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) event at the Hippodrome Casino in London. The report is titled Beyond Gaming: The Evolution of Britain’s Land-Based Casinos as Nightlife Destinations. 

Alongside the 41.1% who said they would otherwise have stayed at home, 55% said they probably or definitely would not have gone to the area in question without the casino. These percentages describe different answers and should not be added together. 

The NTIA publication on casinos and local visitor flows places the findings within the wider debate about vibrant city centres and the evening and night-time economy. The idea is simple: a destination that attracts people to an area can also generate customers for other businesses. 

An important distinction remains, however. The fact that someone visited another business does not show how much they spent there. Nor does it prove how much additional revenue the area as a whole generated because of the casino. 

More than slot machines and roulette 

The report describes casinos as venues where gambling is increasingly combined with restaurants, bars and entertainment. In this way, the sector aims to attract a broader audience and give visitors several reasons to come. 

According to the industry figures presented, the 108 licensed British casinos support around 14,000 direct and indirect jobs. They are said to receive almost 14 million visits each year. That figure refers to visits, not 14 million different people. 

Michael Kill, CEO of the NTIA, emphasises in the accompanying comments that city centres need businesses that give people a reason to leave their homes. BGC chief executive Grainne Hurst highlights employment and the potential benefits for restaurants, bars and hotels. 

These are economic arguments made by organisations representing the sectors involved. Their interest in a favourable policy environment therefore forms part of the context of the research. 

The Belgian parallel can be found in Charleroi 

Belgium also has ambitions to make gambling venues part of a broader leisure offering. Gambling Club previously spoke with Golden Palace CEO Massimo Menegalli about his vision of the casino of the future. 

He described venues where social interaction, food and drink, and entertainment would play a larger role. One concrete example was the theatre above the venue at Place de la Digue in Charleroi. Golden Palace wanted to develop a combination of culture, food, drinks and leisure there. 

According to Menegalli, people should also be able to spend an evening there without gambling. That ambition fits the model discussed in the British research: the appeal of a venue does not have to come exclusively from the gaming floor. 

Of course, an announced vision is not the same as a measured economic result. To know whether nearby businesses actually benefit, data is needed on visitors, spending and the development of the surrounding area. 

Brussels shows why continuity matters 

The relationship between a casino and its surroundings also depends on certainty. Businesses invest more easily when they know under what conditions they can continue operating. 

Gambling Club reported in September on the withdrawal of the casino concession award in Brussels. The city withdrew its decision in favour of E.C.K., the company behind Napoleon Games, after the Council of State suspended the award. 

The case created uncertainty around the future operation and the employees involved. The reporting referred to 286 staff members. 

That issue differs from the British tax debate, but it touches on the same practical question: what level of certainty do operators need in order to carry out their plans? For a city, this concerns both a legally sound procedure and the continuity of an economic activity. 

British industry links research to investment 

The BGC also uses the research findings to argue for a stable tax environment. According to the organisation, casino operators have identified around £200 million in investment over the next five years. 

These are planned investments, including in food and drink, entertainment and visitor facilities. The figure is therefore not a guarantee that all of the projects will actually be carried out. 

The sector also refers to the British casino reforms of 2025. The Gambling Commission explains the changes for land-based casinos. Under certain conditions, some casinos received broader operating possibilities, including permission for a higher number of gaming machines. The changes came into force on 22 July 2025. 

According to the BGC, additional tax pressure and uncertainty around Machine Games Duty could discourage investment. That is the warning from the industry body; the visitor-flow research itself does not prove which tax policy would produce the best economic outcome. 

What Belgium should measure first 

For Belgian cities, the research question is particularly useful. Do visitors come specifically for the casino? Do they combine their visit with a restaurant or hotel? And do they actually spend more in the surrounding area than they otherwise would? 

It is not enough to survey only casino customers. Nearby businesses, non-gambling visitors and local authorities can also provide valuable information. 

Location also makes a difference. A casino in a tourist area may serve a different function from a venue in a busy city centre. The British percentages therefore say nothing directly about the behaviour of Belgian visitors. 

A strong Belgian study should also examine whether new spending is being generated or whether money is mainly shifting between existing leisure options. That distinction determines how much genuine economic added value is being created. 

Economic impact must also include protection 

Employment and visitor flows are relevant parts of the debate. At the same time, a casino remains a business that offers gambling. 

A broader food, drink or entertainment offering does not change the need to protect players. Gambling Club previously described which signs of problematic gambling behaviour deserve attention and how exclusion through Belgium’s EPIS list works. 

The British research therefore gives Belgium a reason to examine the economic role of land-based casinos more closely. The most interesting question is how much nearby businesses actually benefit, under what conditions that happens and how that development can go hand in hand with player protection.