The unease is palpable. In the Netherlands, trusted gaming brands are disappearing into the hands of unknown gambling companies. Belgium is watching closely but seems to remain out of the line of fire for the time being.
Where Dutch gaming sites are increasingly being taken over by vague gambling affiliate companies, often from Malta, the Belgian market has remained relatively clean so far. Research by Gambling Club indicates that there are no distressing cases known in Belgium yet of gaming websites that, after a takeover, turn into platforms full of gambling advertisements.
The Netherlands sees trusted titles disappear to Malta
The sale of Power Unlimited caused a stir. Sources confirmed to Villamedia that the buyer is a Maltese gambling company. The name has not been made public, but the fear is clear: the website could eventually be filled with gambling articles and advertisements, similar to what happened earlier with PlaySense.
PlaySense was sold last year. Since then, articles have appeared that, according to sources, strongly resemble AI-generated content. In addition to gaming news, pieces about online gambling also surfaced.
Co-founder Roy Wijkstra stated that it was becoming increasingly difficult financially to keep the site running. Declining advertising campaigns for games made the model vulnerable. Ultimately, the founders sold the platform.
The new direction clashed with the old editorial team. According to Wijkstra, the new owners want to focus more on online gambling. The entire original team subsequently severed ties with the site.
Belgium chooses a different route
In Belgium, a similar development has not occurred so far. The recent takeover of 4Gamers.be did draw attention, but not panic. The platform fell into the hands of Blue Pixl Media, a Dutch company that specifically focuses on community and journalistic content.
Director Leander Vogels is clear about this.
“We want to offer gamers a solid platform. A place where gamers can go for news.”
Blue Pixl Media is launching 4Gamers.be in a new jacket and emphasizes that there will be no question of illegal offers or a gambling-oriented change of course.
That difference is important. Where titles in the Netherlands seem to be shifting toward gambling-driven models to reach a young audience, Belgium is currently sticking to the idea that a gaming site revolves around news, community, and engagement.