50% of the largest Belgian online casinos are illegal
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20 Dec 2024 •
Reading time: 3 minutes Belgium is facing a disturbing reality: nearly 50% of the largest online casinos in the country operate without a license. This is what our colleagues at Het Laatste Nieuws say. These illegal platforms attract a growing number of players while escaping any regulation. Behind this state of affairs lies a flourishing underground industry, fueled by loopholes in the legislation and limited means to control the phenomenon.
Illegal casinos dominate the scene: an epidemic out of control
“It’s like emptying an ocean with a spoon,” confides a member of the Gambling Commission. With only around forty employees, this institution is far from competing with its European counterparts such as the Netherlands, which has nearly 200 inspectors. This lack of resources hinders any real regulation.
“We need a complete overhaul to make our mission effective,” says Marjolein Depaepe, spokesperson for the Commission.
The figures are alarming: Belgium has around 2,214 illegal sites accessible to players, while only 22 platforms operate with a license. Just yesterday, the Gaming Commission added 17 new illegal sites to its blacklist, bringing it to 581 blocked sites. Unfortunately, these bans are easily circumvented via foreign servers.
Alarming consequences for players
According to Sciensano, around 0.9% of the Belgian population is at risk of developing a gambling addiction, a figure that is rising among young men, the main target of sports betting sites. Frieda Matthys, psychiatrist and author of Gokken is geen spel (Betting is not a game), warns: “Every advertising campaign normalizes gambling, increasing the risk for vulnerable groups.”
The lack of rules on illegal sites accentuates these dangers. Unlike legal platforms, which monitor players’ behavior and limit betting, illegal operators offer prohibited bonuses and welcome minors.
“By closing the doors of regulated sites, we are opening a boulevard to illegal platforms,” says Dennis Marien, CEO of Unibet.
A law that is still ineffective
In 2023, Belgium adopted drastic measures to regulate gambling, including a ban on advertising. However, these restrictions seem insufficient. The sector’s gross profit increased by 16% in one year, reaching 1.7 billion euros in 2023.
This paradox raises questions. Ziggy Pruvoost, marketing director at Napoleon Games, believes that banning advertising could make the situation worse.
“If players can no longer find regulated platforms, they will turn to illegal sites, often based in tax havens and beyond the reach of Belgian justice.”
Ziggy Pruvoost
The urgency of a major reform
The office of the Minister of Justice, Paul Van Tigchelt, is proposing a radical solution: strengthening the Gambling Commission by increasing the financial contributions of legal operators. But will these measures be enough? For many, only a complete overhaul of the legislation will counter the rise of illegal casinos.
The stakes are immense: protecting players, reducing addictions, but also securing billions of euros that escape the tax authorities each year.
“We are on the brink of a social and economic crisis if we do not act now.”
Marjolein Depaepe