In 2025, the Gaming Commission (GC) increased the number of updates to its blacklist of unauthorised sites. More than 160 sites were blocked during the year.
A constant battle
Belgium has a strict legal framework governing both physical and online gambling. Any site wishing to offer casino games or games of chance must obtain a licence issued by the Gaming Commission. Without it, the platform is considered illegal and access may be blocked for Belgian Internet users.
This mechanism is designed to protect players against fraudulent practices, such as the absence of a guarantee that winnings will be paid out, or even attempts to steal personal data or commit financial abuse. Taking part in games offered by an unauthorised site exposes players to financial penalties, and the operators themselves to substantial fines, legal proceedings and, in some cases, confiscation of their illegal income.
2025: a record year for blockades
The year got off to a slow start, with only a few casinos being blocked each month until March. On 27 March 2025, no fewer than 30 platforms were added in a significant update to the register of illegal sites.
Updates continued at the rate of a few casinos a month until a new team was put in place in September. 19 casinos were immediately added to the blacklist, and since November it has even been updated several times a month.
In total, more than 160 illegal casinos were added to the GC blacklist in 2025. However, not all ISPs block blacklisted sites, leading to more risks for players.
Tactics of illegal operators
Illegal platforms don’t just offer unlicensed games. They often try to deceive players by imitating legitimate sites, using .be extensions or names and appearances similar to recognised brands. This ploy has been observed on several occasions, with addresses such as bingoal-casino.be.
Other unauthorised operators exploit variants of URLs that have already been blocked, forcing them to be re-identified and added to the blacklist by the authorities. This practice requires constant vigilance.
Faced with this rise in illegal sites, the GC is not acting alone. In December 2025, a cooperation agreement was signed between the Gaming Commission and DNS Belgium, to speed up the withdrawal of problematic .be domains and thus strengthen online security.
2025 is an important year in the fight against illegal online casinos in Belgium. With dozens of updates to the blacklist and more than 160 platforms banned, the Gaming Commission continues to work tirelessly to protect players.