EPIS: Over 20 years of protecting gamblers
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14 Mar 2025 •
Reading time: 2 minutes For more than 20 years, the Excluded Persons Information System (EPIS) has been an essential pillar of Belgian gambling policy. It was designed as a tool to support gamblers faced with the risks of gambling addiction.
Over the past two decades, it has helped hundreds of thousands of people. How can it be improved and made even more effective? That’s the question the Gaming Commission is asking itself.
Towards continuous improvement
Society is evolving and the challenges associated with gambling are changing, which is why the GC does not wish to rest on its laurels. Discussions have been held with various experts to explore ways of further improving the EPIS system.
Researchers, psychologists, therapists and peer helpers sat around the table with the GC and highlighted areas for improvement to further strengthen this protection.
Twenty years of protection: a positive assessment
Since it was set up, EPIS has demonstrated its effectiveness in protecting gamblers. Hundreds of thousands of people have been helped, and this success is based on close collaboration between the GC, gaming operators and health professionals.
A spokesperson for the Gambling Commission points out:
‘The EPIS system is a great tool that has helped protect many people from the dangers associated with excessive gambling.’
With the EPIS system, Belgium has put in place an effective tool to protect its citizens from the dangers associated with gambling. But vigilance is still required, and efforts to improve the system must continue in order to adapt it to today’s challenges. Collaboration between all the players involved is essential to guarantee optimum protection for vulnerable people.
What is EPIS?
Launched in 2004 by the Belgian Gaming Commission (GC), EPIS is an electronic system that lists all people excluded from gambling establishments in Belgium. Its main objective is to prevent access to casinos, automatic gaming rooms, online casinos and betting agencies for individuals for whom gambling represents a danger, whether due to addiction, financial problems or other reasons.
Exclusions may be voluntary, at the request of the person concerned, or imposed by a competent authority, particularly in the case of over-indebtedness or a court order. Gaming operators are obliged to consult EPIS to check whether a person is authorised to participate in games of chance, thereby ensuring that bans are rigorously applied.