Operators of bar games claim incorrect figures

The Gaming Commission (KSC) in Belgium is receiving criticism after publishing its annual report for 2023. License holders in class C, who operate bar games, are particularly critical. According to them, the figures presented by the KSC are incorrect and give a distorted picture of the actual situation. They have therefore written a letter of protest to the KSC.

C license holders deny the growth reported by the KSC around bar games

In its report, the Gaming Commission states that the GGR (Gross Gaming Revenue) of license holders C, who are responsible for games of chance in bar, increased significantly in 2023. The figures show an increase of no less than 31.41% compared to 2022. According to the KSC, this is calculated on the basis of the financial information provided by the license holders themselves.

The operators of bar games who hold these licenses strongly doubt the figures. According to them, the total stake of players is taken into account, without losses being deducted, which would lead to an unrealistic picture of their actual income. In reality, this sector is under pressure, and many operators have disappeared. In the last 10 years, there have been 33% fewer cafés in Belgium and the market is shrinking. The representatives of the sector, UBA-BNGO, state that this leads to misconceptions among the public and policymakers.

The section in the report: The rise of bingo machines

A significant part of the turnover of C license holders comes from the operation of bingo machines. The Gaming Commission published the following figures on the GGR of these devices over the past five years:

• 2019: €181,110,860
• 2020: €97,251,415
• 2021: €95,990,400
• 2022: €180,246,252
• 2023: €236,855,018

This upward trend gives the impression that the sector is on the rise, but according to the license holders it paints a false picture.

“There are fewer and fewer cafés every year and Covid-19 has also caused many café owners to simply decide to close. We do not see the trend that the Gaming Commission reports in our companies, so we had to respond.”

Anonymous Operator

License holders demand revision of the report

The increasing criticism from the license holders has led to calls to revise the Gaming Commission’s calculation methods. They demand that the correct figures be communicated, so that a fairer picture of their figures is created.

The Gaming Commission has not yet responded to the memo.