| Updated: October 2, 2024Belgium has a long history of gambling dating back to the 1300s. Nowadays, land-based and online casino gambling and sports betting are legal in Belgium. Foreign operators can target punters from Belgium only if they obtain a license from the Belgium Gaming Commission. However, that is not an easy feat due to the strict licensing requirements imposed on operators.
Belgium has a heavily regulated gambling market, and that is why many reputable operators prefer to stay away from it. By enforcing too strict gambling laws, Belgium strives to ensure that everyone can enjoy a safe betting and gambling experience. Belgian punters who dare to join an offshore betting site will face a hefty fine. In other words, it is perfectly legal to bet on sports online as long as you use the services of a licensed betting site.
Best Sports Betting Sites in Belgium
Despite the draconian gambling regulations, several reputable operators have obtained licenses from the gambling authorities in Belgium. An important requirement for all bookmakers who want to operate on Belgian soil is to run land-based establishments in the country. Here are the best licensed online sportsbooks that accept Belgian punters.
Best Sports Betting Bonuses in Belgium
In 2011, Belgium passed the Gaming Act to regulate online sports betting and gambling. Initially, licensed sportsbooks could offer various promotions for newcomers and existing sports fans. But in February 2020, the Council of State overturned two aspects of the Royal Decree and banned casino and sports betting bonuses. However, licensed sportsbooks geared toward the Belgian market found a way to incentivize their customers without infringing the law. Here are some promotions that licensed betting sites offer to Belgian bettors.
Enhanced Odds 100% Pre-Match PaybackEnhanced Odds
Online bookmakers deliberately move the odds in favor of the bettor to increase their engagement. Boosted odds provide sports fans with the opportunity to win more money with the same amount of risk involved. Punters do not have to claim the promotion. They only have to place a wager on a specific betting market, and the odds will be boosted automatically.
Some Belgian betting sites even offer a combo booster promotion. If your accumulator bet wins, the sportsbook will boost your profits by a certain percentage. To qualify for the combo booster promotion, you will have to place an accumulator bet which consists of four selections at the least. The more selections involved in an accumulator bet, the higher the combo boost percentage is.
100% Pre-Match Payback
Some betting sites provide Belgian punters with the opportunity to cash out the full amount of their wagers before the beginning of a sporting event. Punters can benefit from the pre-match payback promotion if the match has not started yet and the odds have not changed. For example, you wager €10 on a sporting event with odds of 2.00. You can get back your €10 if you use the cash-out option before the game begins. However, if the odds have changed in the meantime, you will no longer be able to benefit from the pre-match payback promotion.
Betting Regulation in Belgium
Although gambling is a popular pastime in Belgium dating back to the 1300s, the country addressed the topic for the first time in 1851 with the passage of the Lotteries Act. But the rise of illegal gambling activities led to an outright ban on all forms of gambling in 1872 and 1902.
In 1999, the regulatory landscape dramatically changed after the country implemented the Gambling Act. The Belgium Gaming Commission was established under the Act to oversee all forms of gambling activities in the country. The law stipulates that only operators who obtain licenses from the gambling authorities in Belgium can target players and sports fans from Belgium.
In 2011, Belgium introduced changes to its gambling laws, regulating online gambling and sports betting. Under the new rules, foreign operators can offer their services to Belgian people if they obtain a license from the Belgium Gaming Commission. However, operators must meet strict requirements to receive a license. For example, operators must run land-based establishments in Belgium to be eligible for a license.
Licensing Requirements for Operators Belgium Tightens Gambling and Sports Betting RestrictionsLicensing Requirements for Operators
But the fact that the country imposed a limit of 9 licenses that can be awarded to land-based casinos made things for casino operators even harder. However, some foreign casino operators have joined forces with existing land-based casinos to obtain permission to operate on Belgian soil.
The law distinguishes four different classes of gambling activities. Sports betting is Class 4, and bookmakers must obtain an F license. There are three types of F licenses. An F1 license is required to organize bets. Bookmakers need an F2 license to accept bets. Operators who want to offer their sports betting services online must obtain an additional F+ license. F licenses are valid for 9 years. However, there is a maximum limit on the number of F licenses that can be issued. This makes it almost impossible for many bookmakers to obtain a Belgium license.
Punters and casino fans who use the services of unlicensed gambling sites and sportsbooks will face fines from €26 up to €25,000. Besides, the Belgium Gaming Commission adds such websites to its blacklist and requires ISPs to block them. By 2022, Belgium’s regulator has blacklisted a total of 380 unlicensed sportsbooks and casinos.
Belgium Tightens Gambling and Sports Betting Restrictions
Belgian punters must be at least 18 years old to participate in sports betting activities online or offline. However, the minimum age at which Belgians can play casino games is 21. Belgian sports fans are not required to pay taxes on the sum they win. However, if you participate in games of chance professionally, your winnings will be considered professional income, and you will have to pay a tax.
Although online sports betting is legal in Belgium, the country imposed heavy restrictions on operators. As mentioned above, it is almost impossible for foreign operators to acquire a license from the Belgium Gaming Commission. Moreover, the country prohibited licensed online casinos and betting sites from offering bonuses to Belgians.
Statistics show that over 100,000 Belgians actively participate in gambling activities, and a third of them are affected by gambling problems. That is why the country decided to lower the weekly deposit limit from €500 to €200.
In 2019, Belgium approved a draft Royal Decree that is expected to come into effect on 1st June 2023. Under the new rules, gambling ads are no longer allowed on posters in public places. Moreover, operators will be prohibited from promoting their services via email, SMS, and social networks. As of 2025, all sponsorship deals are expected to be banned. Until December 2027, sports betting companies are allowed to advertise their gambling brand’s logo on the back of athletes’ jerseys.