From arcade to smartphone: how Belgium became a gambling country

1 Mar 2026

Anyone who experienced the nineties remembers the smoke in arcades, the clinking of coins, and cafes where slot machines stood almost by default next to the bar. Today, a single tap on a smartphone is enough to place a bet.

Sensation

X restricts global gambling advertising: does Belgium remain out of range?

Ron Emmerink

1 Mar 2026

The playing field is changing in one fell swoop. X (formerly Twitter. Ed.), is closing the door on gambling advertising, unless countries explicitly give permission and advertisers get a green light in advance. For operators and affiliates, this means: no more gray areas, but strict control. But Belgium seems to remain unaffected.

Sensation

Brussels warns about the illegal gambling market

Sarah C.

28 Feb 2026

On 24 February in Brussels, the European Economic Dialogues, organised by CommStrat in partnership with MEDEF, brought together politicians, industrialists and experts to discuss a question that has become strategic: the future of the online gambling sector in Europe.

Sensation

Clerk steals 93,000 euros in lottery tickets – Belgian police lose crucial evidence

Ron Emmerink

28 Feb 2026

Almost 93,000 euros worth of Lotto and Euromillions tickets disappeared from a gas station in Zutendaal. The store clerk initially confessed, paid back 3,000 euros, but is now asking for an acquittal. Not because of new evidence, but because the police lost the hard drive containing the camera footage.

Sensation

The National Lottery now classifies its games by level of risk

Alex D.

27 Feb 2026

The Belgian National Lottery has recently introduced an official indicator to assess the level of risk associated with each of its games. Inspired by a system similar to the Nutri-Score food rating system, this measure aims to inform players about the characteristics of the games on offer and to reinforce responsible gaming policies.

Sensation

KULeuven study: How advertising normalises gambling among Belgian teenagers

Glen L.

27 Feb 2026

A study conducted by researchers at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KULeuven), published in 2026 in Tijdschrift voor Communicatiewetenschap, documents the frequency and nature of young people’s exposure to gambling advertisements and their attitudes towards these messages.

Sensation

Belgium: pioneer or laggard in gambling legislation?

Ron Emmerink

27 Feb 2026

Is Belgium a pioneer in the fight against gambling advertising, or is it lagging behind? While neighbouring countries are tightening their rules, our country has opted for strict restrictions on sponsorship and visibility. The question is being asked more and more often: is Belgium leading the way, or is it simply responding more quickly to the same pressure?

Legislation

Belgium: the N-VA wants to reduce casino tax

Maxime R.

26 Feb 2026

A bill initiated by the N-VA aims to substantially change the tax treatment of land-based casinos in Belgium.

Economy

Total ban on influencers in gambling advertising: Belgian sports world remains in opposition

Ron Emmerink

26 Feb 2026

No more influencers in gambling advertisements. The Kansspelautoriteit is taking a hard line today and forcing providers to stop collaborations. While the Netherlands is tightening the rules, a fierce battle has been raging in Belgium for some time between sports clubs, gambling companies and regulators.

Legislation

Heritage Tombola: applications now open!

Alex D.

25 Feb 2026

The National Lottery’s Heritage Tombola is now officially open for applications. The aim of this initiative is to finance the conservation and restoration of movable heritage objects in Belgium, with up to €150,000 per region available for selected projects. Institutions have until midday on 1 April to submit their applications.

Sensation

Study: 24% more bets thanks to ads during the World Cup

Glen L.

25 Feb 2026

A recent British study, carried out during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, found that sports betting adverts broadcast on television not only seemed to encourage more people to place bets, but also increased the frequency of live betting.

Sensation

VPN and crypto casinos: the wrong idea

Caroline B.

25 Feb 2026

Is it a good idea to play crypto casinos using a VPN in Belgium? Absolutely not, it’s against the law and what’s more, you run the risk of never seeing your crypto-currency again. Our editorial board takes a look at this vast deception for you.

Sensation

Prediction markets: ANJ alert

Caroline B.

24 Feb 2026

Prediction market platforms are expanding rapidly. But in France, these sites are not authorised to offer their services. The French National Gaming Authority (ANJ) is warning that illegal operators are exposing players to significant risks.

Legislation

Jean-Christophe Choffray: Gaming1 wants to reinvent the player experience

Alex D.

24 Feb 2026

In an interview with EGR Global, Jean-Christophe Choffray, head of product vision at Belgian group Gaming1, outlines their strategy for the years ahead.

Legislation

This is how gambling tax works in Belgium: Flemish, Walloon and Brussels framework explained

Ron Emmerink

24 Feb 2026

Anyone offering gambling in Belgium is entering a tightly regulated sector. Much attention goes to licences and inspections by the Gaming Commission. But at least as important is the tax side of things. Gaming and betting taxes are not an afterthought.

Economy

France tests the regulation of JONUMs

Caroline B.

23 Feb 2026

Since February 2026 in France, an experimental framework has been overseeing games based on monetisable digital objects (JONUM), a fast-growing sector at the crossroads of online gaming, blockchain and virtual economies.

Legislation

Belgium saw risk of Polymarket early – Gaming Commission already intervened harshly

Ron Emmerink

23 Feb 2026

In the Netherlands, Polymarket is now under fire. But Belgium was earlier. Since 30 January 2025, the platform is officially listed as an illegal gambling site here.

Legislation