pachinko gambling online Belgium Online Casino Guide
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The following approaches will be presented
- Gambling legislation in Belgium
- Gambling authorities in Belgium
- Online casinos in Belgium
- and more
All online gambling and betting activities are legal in Belgium, but only when provided by operators licensed by the Kansspel Commissie. Even though widely known as one of the most liberal countries in Europe, the Kingdom of Belgium obviously does not encourage free-market policies when it comes to the gaming industry, limiting the number of casino licenses that can be granted simultaneously.
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Overview
Players in Belgium can enjoy a wide variety of land-based and online gambling activities that range from slots, poker, and other popular Vegas classics to sports betting, fantasy sports, bingo, and lotteries.
The country has long reached the limit of nine brick-and-mortar venues, boasting four casinos in Flanders (Blankenberge, Knokke, Middelkerke and Ostend), four in Wallonia (Chaudfontaine, Dinant, Namur and Spa) and one in Brussels. To pay them a visit, a person has to be at least 21 years old and present a valid photo ID or passport to confirm the age.
When it comes to the online sector, which, by the way, has been legal since 2002, it began to revive in 2014 when the new Government stepped into office. They had really ambitious plans to review the Games of Chance Act of 7 May 1999 and find an appropriate way to increase the number of land-based establishments and make regulations less strict and more operator-friendly. The complex political scene, however, did not let them implement all their ideas and make the changes both players and operators hoped for, so among other things, the number of physical casinos remains at nine today.
The situation has not changed much for gambling websites either, to receive a license from the Gambling Commission, they are still required to own a land-based venue on the Belgian territory or partner with one of them. Naturally, from the casino game suppliers' point of view, the latter variant is far easier and more favorable, therefore the vast majority of providers rushed to sign agreements with local operators. For instance, industry leader Evolution penned numerous deals already back in 2015, letting licensees stream immersive live casino games directly from its purposely built studio at Casino de Spa located in Wallonia.
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In Belgium, organizing any games of chance or betting that involves real money requires a license from the Gaming Commission (GC), which consists of a president and two representatives from each of the five competent Ministries (Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Ministry of Public Health).
The GC can grant or refuse seven types of licenses, ensuring proactive management. It also monitors compliance with the provisions of the Gambling Act and has the power to impose various sanctions (warning, suspension, or license revocation), including administrative fines. Casinos are defined as Class 1 activities and fall under the A type of license (valid for 15 years) while providing online service needs an additional A+ license.
The Law of May 7, 1999, on games of chance, bets, gaming establishments and the protection of players (Wet van 7 mei 1999 op de kansspelen, de weddenschappen, de kansspelinrichtingen en de bescherming van de spelers) is the main piece of legislation that regulates the gambling sphere in the country. It was amended by the two Laws of January 10, 2010, and complemented by an impressive number of Royal Decrees. The Gambling Act falls under criminal law, meaning that violators, be they license holders or players, can face prosecution for offenses.
It is safe to say that during all these years, gambling advertising has been one of the hot topics, with the first restrictions being announced in 2017. However, in May 2022, the Belgian Government introduced its plan for a blanket ban on all forms of advertising across all online and land-based facilities licensed by the GC, which will come into force on July 1, 2023.
In case you were wondering, winnings derived from gambling are not subject to taxation, so Belgium punters do not need to pay any taxes on their well-deserved prizes. This rule, however, applies only to recreational players. Wins hit by poker pros and all those who take part in games of chance professionally are considered a source of income and, as such, should be reported to FPS Finance.
Online Gambling
The number of online casinos licensed by the Gaming Commission is limited, but in fact, there are plenty of websites where punters from Belgium are
allowed to register and play. However, since all sites without a green light from the GC are considered illegal, it is of great importance to do your diligence and check the list of prohibited gambling sites, which is compiled and regularly updated by the Government.
Locally licensed online casinos offer a broad choice of games from the industry's best software developers. Their libraries can suit all tastes literally, featuring thousands of slots, the most popular roulette, blackjack, and poker variants, and off-the-charts collections of live dealer tables. Customers can deposit in euros using debit cards, Bancontact, and other convenient payment methods.
In accordance with the current regulations, players are allowed to deposit up to €200 per week per website for their internet gaming activities. This limit can be lifted upon the player's request, providing that the person is not registered as a defaulter with the Central Individual Credit Office of the National Bank. One more thing which annoys many players is that online casinos were forced to remove all promotional pages, following the decision of the Belgian Council of The State (BCS) to allow only personalized advertising of bonuses.
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