BAGO demands action: Trustpilot directs Belgians to Illegal Casinos 

The Belgian Association of Gaming Operators (BAGO) has responded sharply to how illegal online casinos gain visibility via Trustpilot. According to Chairman Tom De Clercq, the popular review platform does not merely host consumer experiences—its presentation can also build false trust in operators that hold no Belgian licence. 

This reaction follows an investigation by GamblingClub.be into casino profiles on Trustpilot. The study revealed that Belgian players using Google can easily land on pages featuring a TrustScore, thousands of reviews, a company description, and a direct button to the casino’s website. Such a professional presentation can look legal and regulated, even when the operator is not licensed by the Belgian Gaming Commission. 

In the background article Trustpilot Leads Belgian Players to Illegal Casinos, we described how this funnel works in practice. BAGO calls the situation unacceptable and expects Trustpilot to take much more proactive measures. 

BAGO: Trustpilot pushes players toward an unsafe environment 

Tom De Clercq, Chairman of BAGO, left little room for doubt in his statement. He believes Trustpilot must step up, take responsibility, and collaborate directly with the Gaming Commission. 

“For many consumers, Trustpilot is a beacon of trust. It is therefore unacceptable that the platform currently functions as a showcase for illegal online casinos. By giving these illegal operators a platform and an unearned stamp of approval, Trustpilot unintentionally pushes players toward an unsafe environment with zero protection. 

BAGO expects Trustpilot to take responsibility: take illegal, Belgium-targeted operators offline and actively cooperate with the Gaming Commission. Facilitating the illegal market not only undermines player protection, but also damages the level playing field in which our licensed operators invest heavily.” 

The terms “beacon of trust” and “unearned stamp of approval” hit the core of the debate. Trustpilot is not a Belgian gambling regulator, and a high TrustScore is not a gambling licence. However, for the average consumer, that distinction easily gets lost behind star ratings, scorecards, and familiar branding. 

A review score does not equal a Belgian Licence 

An online casino may only offer games to Belgian players if it holds the correct licence. A foreign licence is insufficient, and a high volume of positive reviews does not make an operator legal in Belgium. 

Yet, these signals frequently overlap in the consumer’s mind. A platform with “trust” in its name, a claimed profile, and a high rating feels like a verified seal of approval. When paired with a direct link to the website, the distance between searching and depositing becomes dangerously short. 

This makes the term “stamp of approval” in BAGO’s statement highly relevant, even if Trustpilot does not formally present its scores as regulatory licences. It is about the overall impression the page leaves—an impression that often proves stronger than a generic disclaimer stating gambling laws vary by country. 

Consequently, players must verify whether an operator is locally licensed outside of Trustpilot. GamblingClub.be maintains an up-to-date overview of all legal online casinos in Belgium, though the official licence registries of the Gaming Commission remain the final authority. 

From neutral review platform to Commercial Referral 

No one disputes that consumers have the right to share experiences about businesses. Even a negative review about an illegal casino can be helpful, as a timely warning can prevent another player from depositing money or sharing personal documents. 

The line becomes blurred when a profile incorporates commercial features. A claimed account can be enhanced with business descriptions and contact info, while a visit button redirects the user directly to the operator. The page then transitions from recording user experiences to acting as a referral gateway to the product. 

This is precisely where BAGO directs its criticism. The trade association asserts that Trustpilot gives illegal operators a platform and pushes consumers toward an environment devoid of Belgian regulatory protections. It is a firm stance, but one that aligns with the specific layouts uncovered by GamblingClub.be. 

Legal caution is necessary, however. As far as public record shows, a Belgian court has not ruled that Trustpilot violates gambling laws simply by hosting these profiles. The underlying question is not whether every review should be wiped out, but rather how visibility, commercial info, scores, and outbound links interact. 

Why Illegal Gambling carries greater risks 

A Belgian licence is not a decorative logo. Licensed operators must adhere to strict regulations regarding age verification, identification, responsible gambling, and oversight. Furthermore, they are connected to EPIS, the system preventing excluded players from accessing regulated gambling services. 

Offshore operators lack this Belgian protection system. In a dispute, a player cannot rely on the Gaming Commission for recourse. Nor is there any guarantee that Belgian deposit limits, access checks, or interventions for risky play will be enforced. 

The difference becomes painfully clear when a withdrawal is refused or an account is abruptly closed. In our comparison between legal and illegal casinos, we detail the protections that are missing outside the licensed ecosystem. 

Anyone who has already deposited money on such sites should act quickly and carefully: retain all communications, transaction receipts, and screenshots, and contact their bank or card issuer regarding suspicious payments. Our practical guide outlines what steps to take after playing at an illegal casino. 

The Blacklist alone is not enough 

The Gaming Commission regularly publishes domain names offering illegal gambling in Belgium. While this blacklist is crucial for warnings and enforcement, no single list can resolve the problem in real time. 

Illegal operators frequently switch domain names. The moment one address is blocked, a mirror site or new URL emerges. Moreover, a brand can remain visible on search engines and review platforms even when a specific domain is blocked. 

This amplifies the responsibility of intermediary platforms. The Gaming Commission can identify an illegal website, but that action does not automatically clean up search results, review listings, or affiliate funnels pointing to replacement domains. 

Hence, BAGO is calling for active cooperation. Instead of waiting for reports from players or journalists, Trustpilot could pre-screen Belgium-targeted casinos against the official licence register. A domain change should not be enough for an operator to reappear unchecked. 

Trustpilot maintained that a profile is not an endorsement 

Trustpilot has previously stressed that the presence of a business profile does not constitute an endorsement or proof of legitimacy. The platform also maintains that illegal companies are prohibited and that measures are taken against policy abuse. 

This formal explanation is relevant. An open review platform enables profiles partly so consumers can air negative experiences. Completely removing every listing could render valuable warnings and evidence invisible. 

At the same time, this explanation does not solve the practical issue for Belgian players. Many visitors do not read the fine print regarding a profile’s legal status; they simply see a score, star ratings, and a direct button to the operator. The visual message lands long before the legal disclaimer is read. 

It is therefore insufficient to simply state somewhere on the page that gambling laws vary by region. For a visitor from Belgium, it must be immediately clear whether an operator holds a local licence. Without that clarity, general warnings can create a false sense of security, leading consumers to assume oversight has already taken place. 

UK investigation reveals the scale of the issue 

This challenge is not unique to Belgium. In April 2026, The Guardian published an investigation into illegal casinos on Trustpilot, finding profiles of operators lacking required UK licences as well as affiliate pages promoting them. 

Following inquiries from the newspaper, Trustpilot swiftly removed approximately 3,400 profiles linked to unlicensed gambling operations. This demonstrates that large-scale intervention is technically feasible, while simultaneously raising questions as to why those pages were permitted to gain visibility in the first place. 

The British case reinforces BAGO’s demands. When enforcement only follows media scrutiny, the strategy remains reactive. New profiles and domains can proliferate faster than journalists, regulators, and consumers can flag them. 

Trustpilot itself has a stake in closing this gap. Public trust in the platform depends not only on the authenticity of individual reviews, but also on the context in which scores are displayed and which businesses are granted access to commercial features. 

BAGO slso defends a fair playing field 

BAGO’s argument extends beyond consumer protection to encompass the commercial environment in which licensed operators invest. Legal operators pay taxes, implement controls, and adhere to strict Belgian advertising and player-protection mandates. 

Illegal operators do not bear these costs or obligations. Yet, via international platforms, they appear side-by-side with regulated brands. In fact, a highly visible Trustpilot profile can rank higher on Google than regulatory guidance or a licensed operator’s website. 

BAGO represents licensed gambling operators, a context that should be noted when evaluating its statements. A level playing field directly benefits its members. However, that commercial interest does not diminish the validity of its warnings regarding player safety—the commercial goals of licensed operators and the public interest align here. 

Other industry stakeholders similarly warn that illegal operators are gaining ground online. In an interview with GamblingClub.be, an affiliate expert explained why unlicensed bookmakers are becoming more visible in Google search results, an effect further magnified by high-authority domain platforms. 

Online trust vs. Regulatory oversight 

A licence is a regulatory enforcement tool. A review score is a summary of user feedback filtered through a commercial platform’s algorithms. These two systems address fundamentally different questions. 

A licence confirms whether an operator is legally permitted to offer gambling in Belgium under local supervision. Reviews merely reflect user experiences with customer support, payouts, or website usability. Even if every review is authentic, a high score never proves that offering services to Belgian players is legally compliant. 

This distinction must be instantly clear on the page itself. Expecting consumers to understand the Belgian licensing framework, cross-reference operators, and verify domain names places the heaviest burden on the least informed party. 

For vulnerable players, this is especially hazardous. Someone excluded via EPIS might actively seek ways to play outside the regulated system. A familiar review platform can lower the barrier to offshore sites where Belgian exclusion checks are not enforced. 

The role of the Digital Services Act 

The European Digital Services Act (DSA) obliges online platforms to provide an accessible mechanism for reporting illegal content. According to European Commission DSA guidelines, platforms must process these notices and inform the reporter of their decision. 

This does not mean every profile of a foreign casino automatically constitutes illegal content. A page containing purely user reviews may be treated differently from a claimed profile featuring promotional copy and outbound links. Presentation and targeting are key factors. 

Nevertheless, the DSA offers a framework for faster collaboration. The Gaming Commission can supply structured data on licensed and prohibited domains, enabling Trustpilot to prioritize these notices, audit profiles, and geoblock features by country. 

A localized warning banner would be far clearer than a generic note on international laws. Belgian visitors should immediately see whether an operator lacks a local licence, eliminating the need to guess which foreign authority applies. 

What BAGO currently expects from Trustpilot 

Tom De Clercq’s statement includes two direct demands: illegal operators targeting Belgium must be taken offline, and Trustpilot must actively cooperate with the Gaming Commission. 

In practice, this could go beyond simply deleting profiles. Trustpilot could restrict claimed gambling profiles to operators with verified local licences, disable outbound buttons when a licence is missing, or display prominent warnings above the TrustScore in contested cases. 

Regular audits are also essential. Licences expire, domains change, and legal international groups may operate unlicensed brands in Belgium. A one-time check upon profile creation is insufficient. 

Negative consumer reviews do not need to be lost entirely. Trustpilot could maintain a non-commercial warning page stripped of promotional text and direct links. This keeps user experiences searchable while preventing the page from acting as a gateway to illegal operators. 

While BAGO places primary responsibility on Trustpilot, effective enforcement requires a multi-party approach. The Gaming Commission must provide accessible, real-time licence and blocklists; search engines must reduce the visibility of illegal funnels; and operators must report new domain iterations promptly. 

Ultimately, one check remains decisive for the consumer: is the casino listed with its exact web address in the official Belgian licence register? A TrustScore, claimed profile, or foreign licence can never replace that verification—which is precisely the point of BAGO’s firm stance.