The gambling market in 2023 has stagnated in Belgium.
The Gaming Commission (KSC) recently launched their 2023 annual report in which they delved deeper into the activities of the Gaming Commission and gave an insight into the statistics they had collected in 2023. We will have to wait and see for the financial report, but we will give you the most interesting facts.
Recovery of offline gaming establishments after COVID.
During corona, the gaming halls and casinos were forced to remain closed. For example, we consistently saw red numbers in offline gambling during the lockdowns. Since then, the figures have gradually risen again. An overview:
OFFLINE
Average number of registered visits per day to physical gaming establishments.
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 1 | 2023 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15.710 | 11.167 | 10.684 | 13.240 * | 14.972 * |
| 14.543 ** | 14.773 ** | |||
| 17.046 *** |
- Taking into account the entry into force on 1/10/2022 of the Royal Decree making access control in betting shops mandatory, the figures for 2022 must be analyzed in two parts:
- * period from January to September 2022: an average of 13,240 visits per day.
- ** period from October to December 2022: an average of 14,543 visits per day.
- In January 2023, EPIS control and registration in betting offices were suspended by order of the summary proceedings judge in Namur. After reversing this decision, control and registration were resumed on 1/12/2023. The 2023 figures should be analyzed in three parts:
- * period from 1/01 to 18/01/2023: average 14,972 visits per day (royal decree still in force at the time)
- ** period from 19/01 to 30/11/2023: average 15,054 visits per day (royal decree suspended)
- *** period from 1/12 to 31/12/2023: average 17,046 visits per day (royal decree in force again)
Online gambling market will stagnate in 2023
The figures show that there are more unique players active per day than in 2022, but at the same time there were significantly fewer new players (-3%) than in the previous year. This may be due to the year that had 2 faces. In the first half of 2023, betting offices and casinos tried to do as much marketing as possible online until the advertising ban came into effect. As a result, it is likely that more players who were already customers were reactivated.
“In the second half of the year, the advertising ban came into effect and operators saw fewer new players enter”
ONLINE
The average number of unique players active per day also increased in 2023.
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 94.212 | 113.302 | 136.888 | 141.225 | 154.316 |
The average number of players who visited an online gaming or betting website at least once in 2023 has decreased slightly:
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 445.288 | 502.738 | 576.493 | 634.845 | 614.332 |
In 2023, there were 168,113 new online players, compared to 197,705 in 2022.
Nearly 90% of the fines imposed remain unpaid
It was also notable that the Gaming Commission reported on the fines that were imposed. In 2023 alone, €1,121,250 in fines were issued. They also saw that only EUR 236,725 was collected. They also reported that more than 1 million fines were imposed on foreign parties that illegally offer gambling in Belgium, but they rarely or never receive a response. The file is then transferred to FPS Finance and the Gaming Commission loses sight of the handling.