Belgium implements new rules banning all under-21s from gambling

Age requirements for sports betting, arcades and bingo have now been raised to be in line with land-based casinos where, since 2018, players have had to be 21 to gamble. The changes were agreed in February 2024 and confirmed by royal decree last month, overriding numerous gambling laws dating back several decades in Belgium.

The new law is the latest attempt to constrain the legal gambling industry, with a royal decree designed to almost completely ban advertising passed in 2023. Since 2020, Belgium has banned bonuses and free bets, while also introducing a €200 (£171.48/$216.54) weekly deposit limit. There is also now a prohibition on the cumulation of online licences on the same website.

Concerns over growth of illegal gambling market in Belgium

VAD, the Flemish centre of expertise for alcohol, illegal drugs, psychoactive medication, gambling and gaming, had been advocating for the raising of age restrictions. It claims that the change in legislation was a “cost-effective” way to curb addiction among the youth.

However, licensed gambling operators in Belgium are concerned that changes will simply drive players to offshore sites.

Earlier this year, a report published by Belgium-based operator Gaming1 highlighted concerns over the effect of overregulation on channelisation.

Gaming1 pointed to surveys conducted by Nepa in 2023. The studies found a 6% rise in online players using an illegal website in the past three months following the royal decree banning advertising, as well as a 4% increase on deposits made on illegal gaming websites.

In its report, Gaming1 highlighted the results of two major studies. The first is from the Belgian Gaming Commission (BGC), which has a blacklist of 500 illegal sites to date. The second report from Yield Sec reveals a 4.4-fold increase in illegal operators in 2023, with 2,214 sites identified.