RTBF reveals the risks of illegal gambling
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26 May 2025 •
Reading time: 3 minutes On Thursday 22 May 2025, the programme ‘On n’est pas des pigeons!’ broadcast on RTBF showed the disconcerting ease with which Belgians can access illegal gambling sites. Operating without a licence or regulation, these platforms expose players to major risks: no age verification, no deposit limits, and no measures to protect against addiction.
The programme: a focus on illegal operators
In the programme’s ‘Focus’ segment, RTBF chose to highlight the growing danger of illegal gambling operators. Far from being simple fringe platforms, these illegal sites are now easily accessible from Belgium, and often pass themselves off as reliable operators. In reality, they completely escape the controls of the Gaming Commission (GC), Belgium’s official regulatory body.
In it, the journalist details the concrete risks for consumers. Among the dangers mentioned is the total lack of protection for players, especially the youngest. These sites have no serious means of verifying identity, no deposit limits, and no possibility of voluntary exclusion. As a result, vulnerable people are particularly exposed to significant financial losses, with no possibility of recourse.
To avoid falling into the trap, the programme gives two simple but essential tips for recognising a legal operator from an illegal site. Step one: check the website address, as many illegal operators copy the appearance of legal operator websites. Second step: consult the Gaming Commission‘s official website to confirm that the site does in fact have a valid licence. If the site’s name does not appear on the official list, this is a clear signal that it is operating illegally.
This reminder is part of a drive to educate the general public: to learn to distinguish safe offers from scams, at a time when the marketing campaigns of illegal operators are increasingly aggressive and difficult to detect, particularly on social networks and via unscrupulous influencers.
Young people, the first victims of this underground market
A recent study commissioned by BAGO (Belgian Association of Gaming Operators) reveals some alarming figures: a quarter of Belgian gamblers visit illegal sites. The phenomenon is particularly worrying among young men aged 18 to 21, 65% of whom admit to playing on these unregulated platforms. What’s more, 97% of them recognise at least one illegal gambling site or brand.
BAGO calls for stronger government action
Faced with this situation, BAGO is urging the Belgian government to take concrete action:
- Reform and strengthen the Gaming Commission to more effectively detect and punish illegal sites.
- Implement payment blockades in collaboration with financial institutions to prevent transactions to these platforms.
- Establish an alliance between public authorities, the gambling industry and health professionals to better protect gamblers.
Regulation needed to counter the lure of the black market
Illegal sites attract gamblers by offering higher winnings, easier access and the possibility of playing before the legal age of 21. This situation is exacerbated by the over-regulation of the legal market, which pushes some players towards unregulated alternatives.