I have played at an illegal casino in Belgium: The 5 emergency steps (Guide 2026)

6 May 2026

Block your deposits, protect your banking data, and avoid the spiral of secondary fraud: having played at a casino not authorized by the Gaming Commission (KSC) requires immediate action.

Legislation

Meta may be liable for false adverts

Glen L.

22 Sep 2026

A German court has ruled that Meta may be held liable for the display of fraudulent adverts on Facebook and Instagram.

Sensation

GC takes action: Meta removes thousands of illegal gambling adverts

Ron Emmerink

22 Sep 2026

More than 8,500 adverts from illegal gambling operators were reported to Meta in 2025 with a request to have them removed. The campaigns appeared on Facebook and Instagram and regularly misused the names and logos of licensed Belgian casinos.

Gaming Commission

Mindway AI raises concerns about a detection model

Alex D.

21 Sep 2026

Can a model based on two years’ worth of player data really identify people at risk of gambling-related harm? Mindway AI believes that the tool developed by researchers at the University of Amsterdam primarily measures the likelihood of a player voluntarily self-excluding, without necessarily identifying gambling problems.

Sensation

Has your casino game frozen? Here’s what happens to your stake and winnings

Ron Emmerink

21 Sep 2026

You press the button to start a slot game, the stake is deducted from your balance, and at that very moment the screen freezes. The reels remain frozen, the bonus round fails to open, or the connection to the live casino is lost. When you log in again, you can’t immediately tell what happened to that round of play. Have you lost your stake, has the round been cancelled, or has the system calculated the outcome after all?

Games

34 new gambling sites blacklisted

Alex D.

21 Sep 2026

The Gaming Commission has updated its list of illegal gambling sites in Belgium. On 17 September 2026, 34 new websites were subject to a decision and now appear amongst the platforms targeted by the Belgian authority.

Gaming Commission

A 19 per cent increase in voluntary self-exclusions

Alex D.

20 Sep 2026

In Belgium, more than 10,000 additional people applied for voluntary self-exclusion from gambling in 2025. According to the annual report of the Gaming Commission, the number of people affected rose by 19 per cent in one year.

Gaming Commission

Why do betting odds change before and during a match?

Ron Emmerink

20 Sep 2026

Betting odds fluctuate due to new information, team news, heavy betting volume, and time decay during live play. Bookmakers continuously adjust their lines to manage financial risk and recalculate real-time win probabilities.

Legislation

VAT receipts become a lottery

Sarah C.

19 Sep 2026

Belgium is preparing a new scheme combining taxation and games of chance. The National Lottery’s next project could allow customers at restaurants and other hospitality venues to take part in a prize draw using their VAT receipt.

Sensation

Constitutional Court: National Lottery is wrongly granted exceptional status

Ron Emmerink

19 Sep 2026

The National Lottery’s exceptional status within the Belgian gambling market is coming under increasing pressure. Private casinos and bookmakers must comply with strict rules regarding advertising, bonuses, age verification and excluded players. These obligations do not apply in the same way to lottery products.

Legislation

Belgium imposed millions in gambling fines: this is what actually came in

Ron Emmerink

18 Sep 2026

Between 2020 and 2025, less than 6% of the €10.1M in Belgian gambling fines was collected by the GC. The regulator is now shifting focus toward rapid domain blocking and cutting off financial transactions to illegal operators.

Gaming Commission

New licences for BetCity and bet365

Julien D.

18 Sep 2026

BetCity and bet365 have been granted a new five-year licence to offer online gambling in the Netherlands. The two operators will therefore be able to continue their operations in the regulated market after their current licences expire on 30 September 2026.

Sensation

GC 2025 Report: BAGO responds

Glen L.

17 Sep 2026

The use of illegal gambling sites is a cause for concern for BAGO. In a response to the Gaming Commission’s (GC) 2025 annual report, the association of Belgian gambling operators is calling for stronger consumer protection and greater resources for the regulator.

Sensation

GC Chair Magali Clavie warns: ‘The illegal gambling market is growing at breakneck speed’

Ron Emmerink

17 Sep 2026

The planned reform of the Belgian gambling market failed to get off the ground in 2025. Meanwhile, the threat posed by illegal gambling sites grew rapidly. The Gaming Commission had 8,528 adverts removed from Meta and blacklisted 370 new websites.

Gaming Commission

Belgium: concerns over the black market in gambling

Alex D.

17 Sep 2026

The European market for illegal gambling is growing significantly. According to a study commissioned by EUROMAT and carried out by Regulus Partners and Helios, unauthorised activities are reported to have grown by an average of 18 per cent per year since 2019. Belgium is one of the countries particularly affected.

Sensation

Belgian Gaming Commission publishes its 2025 annual report

Maxime R.

16 Sep 2026

The KSC 2025 report reveals a stagnant Belgian market (€1.62B GGR) masking a major shift: online casinos expanded (+13%), while landbased gaming declined and new online player registrations plummeted by 43%.

Gaming Commission

Viage says no to extending the casino’s licence

Caroline B.

16 Sep 2026

The countdown is accelerating for the Brussels Casino. Viage has now ruled out continuing to operate the casino beyond 31 December 2026 under its current licence. Whilst the award of the next licence to ECK, the company behind Napoleon Games, has been suspended by the Council of State, this uncertainty poses a direct threat to 286 jobs.

Sensation

Bottle and can deposits become a lottery in the Netherlands

Julien D.

16 Sep 2026

Since 15 August 2026, Dutch consumers have been able to use the money they get back from returning their bottles and cans to buy lottery tickets for €0.25. It’s an unusual scheme that combines recycling, behavioural incentives and gambling, with a maximum net prize of €10,000.

Sensation