Regulator: Belgian Gaming Commission

The Belgian Gaming Commission (BGC) is the central gambling regulator in the Kingdom of Belgium, responsible for overseeing the terrestrial and online segments, issuing and controlling licenses, protecting players and ensuring fair competition. The commission operates as part of the Gambling Act 1999 and subsequent reforms that created a hybrid model of regulation: a limited number of land licences with a technological "bridge" to online and strict compliance.

BGC Mandate and Tasks

Licensing and tolerances. The regulator approves, extends and suspends the licenses of operators, equipment suppliers, personnel and betting points.

Supervision and enforcement. Conducts inspections, investigations, initiates sanctions (fines, suspensions, revocation of licenses), coordinates work with the prosecutor's office and the police to combat illegal sites.

Player protection. Maintains a national register of self-exclusion EPIS (Excluded Persons Information System), controls age restrictions and responsible practices.

Standards and technical control. Requires RNG certification, GGR reporting, transaction logs, logging and integration with monitoring systems.

Advertising policy. Monitors compliance with advertising and sponsorship restrictions, special risk warning and targeting requirements.

Law sources and institutional framework

Basic Law: Gambling Act 1999, as amended, legalized and structured the online segment through plus-licenses.

By-laws and royal decrees: detail the requirements for advertising, limits, verification, accounting and safety.

Tiered engagement: BGC coordinates with the Department of Justice, financial and consumer regulators, and with provinces and municipalities to locate land points.

License classes: how the matrix works

A (casino, offline) and A + (online casino) - tables and slot machines in casinos and their online equivalents.

B (gaming rooms, offline) and B + (online slots/gaming products) are out-of-casino machines and related online products.

F1 (betting organiser, offline) and F1 + (online betting) are central bookmakers;

F2 - betting stations/agents.

E - manufacturers/distributors of equipment and software.

D - personal licenses for employees of gambling establishments.

This division supports the principle of "online follows offline": the right to remote products (A +, B +, F1 +) is tied to the holders of the corresponding basic offline licenses, which restrains the "inflation" of the online market and facilitates control.

Key operator requirements

KYC/AML and verification prior to admission to play; ban on the participation of excluded persons from EPIS.

Age thresholds: typically 21 + for casinos and slot machine lounges; 18 + for bets (online and offline).

Limits and behavioral tools: deposits/spending limits, cooling, timeouts, transparent game statistics.

Technology compliance: RNG certified, unchangeable logs, turnover/payment reports, secure hosting and encryption.

Game content: banning "high-risk" mechanics without explicit transparency; requirements for RTP declarations and honesty.

EPIS: self-exclusion and protection of vulnerable groups

EPIS - a centralized base of excluded players (self-exclusion, court/administrative decisions, other grounds). All licensed operators are required to conduct online and offline checks on EPIS prior to admission to the game. The system reduces risks for problem players and provides uniform protection in all segments.

Advertising, sponsorship and communications

Belgium adheres to a strict model of marketing control: restrictions on the format, time and channels of advertising, increased requirements for warning labels, bans on targeting vulnerable groups. Sports sponsorship is brought under separate transitional regimes: operators are prescribed a stricter framework for brand visibility, merchandising and integration in stadiums and on-air. For digital channels, there are rules on the frequency of impressions, content, remarketing and influencers.

Supervision and sanctions

BGC conducts scheduled and sudden checks, uses "mystery shopping," monitors domain zones and payment routes, compiles "black lists" of unlicensed sites, goes to courts for blocking and fines. Sanctions range from orders and fines to suspension/revocation of licenses and criminal procedures in severe cases.

Features of the Belgian model

A limited number of ground licenses → a high entry bar and "quality" control.

Linking online to offline rights → controlled growth of the remote segment.

Centralized Player Protection (EPIS) → uniform RG standards.

A strong focus on advertising and youth access → prevention, not reaction.

Calls for operators and providers

Balance between UX and compliance with strict identification and limitation rules.

Integration with EPIS and storage of sensitive data with strict privacy requirements.

Marketing management in conditions of restrictions (creative without aggressive incentives, transparent offers).

Technical certification and reporting, including audits of RNG and gaming magazines.

Trends until 2030

1. Strengthening behavioral analytics and risk scoring (early detection of problem play).

2. Finer rules for advertising in the digital environment, including influencers and live content.

3. Market consolidation around operators with a strong offline base and mature compliance.

4. Technical control and automation of reporting (API integration, standardized data formats, real-time monitoring).

5. Cross-border cooperation to block illegal sites and exchange risk signals.

What it means for business

For operators: invest in compliance infrastructure (KYC/AML, EPIS, logging, audit), build "ethical marketing," prepare product cards with default RG functions.

For content providers/platforms: document RTP and mechanics, provide independent certification, establish telemetry and reports out of the box.

For brands and clubs: plan sponsorship taking into account the limitations of visualization, audiences and media; develop projects that increase financial literacy and RG awareness.

Conclusion: BGC is building a rigorous but predictable environment. The online-through-offline model and EPIS make the Belgian market mature and sustainable, and it offers long-term stability to operators willing to invest in compliance and responsible play.