In Belgium, a discreet but growing phenomenon is taking hold: the alarming rise of gambling addiction, particularly online. Experts are sounding the alarm as figures show an increasingly worrying situation.
Never before have so many people in Belgium been banned from gambling. According to recently compiled data, nearly 200,000 adults are now banned from casinos, betting agencies and licensed online platforms.
The UK government is considering imposing a massive tax increase on online betting, with potential rates of up to 50% of revenues. This tax proposal could mean the closure of local bookmakers.
For several years now, Belgium has been actively combating unauthorised online gambling websites. On 04 November 2025, the Gambling Commission (GC) announced the update of its blacklist, with the addition of twelve new sites deemed illegal.
The Gambling Commission has fined NetBet £650,000 (approximately €740,000) for multiple breaches of its anti-money laundering and social responsibility obligations.
Illegal online gambling is booming in France. In 2025, more than 5.4 million players were tempted by unauthorised virtual casinos, often without even knowing they were breaking the law.
In Boulogne-sur-Mer, the Golden Palace casino posted dazzling results for the 2024 financial year. According to the most recent town council meeting, the casino returned more than €1 million to the town, while the state received a much higher sum.
The National Lottery is launching a new advertising campaign entitled ‘We set limits so that you don’t exceed yours’, focusing on responsible gambling and respect for individual limits.
A symbolic milestone has just been reached in Belgium: more than 10,000 people have chosen to voluntarily exclude themselves from gambling using itsme.
The 3rd edition of the AFJEL’s annual colloquium will focus on an important question: how to deal with the worrying rise of the illegal online gaming market and its repercussions on French society?
The owner of Duel Casino, Ossi Ketola, better known under the pseudonym Monarch, is denouncing an attempt to censor X in connection with the launch of a new product at his online casino.
From 17 November, YouTube will tighten its controls on videos related to gambling and social casinos.
The Consumentenbond is threatening to launch a class action against six legal Dutch online casinos. They are accused of using ‘dark patterns’ to induce players to bet more, reveals CasinoZorgplicht.
Donald Trump is now venturing into prediction markets via his own Truth Social platform. His company, Trump Media and Technology Group, has announced an exclusive partnership with Crypto.com. Thanks to this collaboration, users will soon be able to place live bets on all kinds of events, such as elections.
Belgium is preparing to carry out an in-depth review of its gambling legislation. Bill 56K0230001, tabled in the House of Commons, aims to modernise a booming sector that is often criticised for its lack of control and social risks. Behind this bill lies a single ambition: to strengthen player protection and provide the Gaming Commission (GC) with resources commensurate with its remit.
In a context where influencers shape the choices of internet users, the online gambling industry is facing a new requirement. On 21 October 2025, the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) took the initiative to launch a Pledge on Responsible Influencer Marketing in Online Gambling, an unprecedented commitment to strictly regulate the use of influencers in the promotion of gambling.
Lamotte-Beuvron, a peaceful commune in the Sologne region of Loir-et-Cher, could well become the future gambling hub of the Centre-Val de Loire region. At the crossroads of horses and forests, this small town of 4,700 inhabitants hopes that a change in the law will remedy what its mayor calls a ‘territorial injustice’.
