Belgium increases contributions to the Gaming Commission as Royal Decree sets 2026 operator fees

Belgium has revised the funding system for its gambling regulator. A new Royal Decree on operator contributions for 2026 has been published in the Official Gazette. It sets the fees that licence holders will pay in 2026 to support the activities of the Kansspelcommissie, the Belgian Gaming Commission.

The decree boosts operator contributions by 15% to cover the regulator’s rising costs as the gambling market grows more complex.

A decree to support the functioning of the regulatory authority

King Philippe (pictured) signed the decree on 11 March. This followed a joint proposal by the ministers of Economy, Health, Finance, Justice and the Interior. The measure establishes the amounts that gambling licence holders must pay in 2026 to fund the Kansspelcommissie.

The regulation is based on Article 19 of the Belgian Gambling Act of 7 May 1999. This law governs the gambling sector in Belgium. It stipulates that the costs of the supervisory authority must be fully covered by licensed operators. The Gaming Commission is responsible for issuing licences, supervising the market, enforcing compliance, and promoting player protection policies.

The money from these contributions goes into a dedicated fund within the budget of the Federal Public Service Justice. It is used to support the regulator’s work, such as monitoring the market, managing licences and enforcing rules.

Adjustment of contributions after years without indexation

The government says the higher fees reflect both rising costs for the regulator and market growth.

The regulator’s spending limit for 2026 is set at €9.18 million. Without the increase, contributions would have stayed at about €7.74 million, leaving a gap of over €1.43 million.

To close this gap, the government raised contributions by 15%. Officials estimate the increase will generate around €1.31 million in additional revenue, covering almost the entire funding requirement. The report notes that operator fees have remained unchanged since 2018, even as industry revenues grew from €1.17 billion in 2019 to €1.7 billion in 2023, resulting in added workload for the regulator.

The regulator’s costs have surged. Since 2020, annual expenses have climbed from about €4.7 million to nearly €8 million. Staff costs are up 58%, rent by 39%, ICT by 68%, and legal fees by 19%.

New contribution levels for different licence categories

The Royal Decree lists the new fees for each type of gambling licence.

For 2026, holders of Class A licences, which operate land-based casinos, must pay an annual contribution of €25,398. Additionally, operators using gaming machines must pay a fee of €821 per machine, with a minimum contribution of €24,696 for operators using such machines.

The contribution is set at €12,698 for Class A+, B, and B+ licences. This amount covers certain online gambling activities linked to land-based operators. A breakdown of the €12,698 fee for each licence class is not specified here.

Operators in the betting sector with F1 and F1+ licences must pay a fixed contribution of €14,493 for 2026.

Class C licences, generally for gaming machines in bars and hospitality venues, require a one-time fee of €865 for licences issued in 2026.

In the retail betting segment, F2 licence holders will pay a fee of €4,347 for operating within Class IV gaming establishments, and a fee of €1,998 for accepting bets outside such venues.

Additionally, the decree requires a contribution of €513 for certain categories of gaming machines subject to regulation under the 1999 gambling law.

Focus on technical licences and industry suppliers

A significant part of the measure concerns Class E licences, which apply to manufacturers, distributors and technical service providers related to gaming machines.

In these cases, the contribution varies based on the activity type: providers of maintenance or equipment services must pay €4,234, while those offering services linked to online gambling are required to pay €14,493.

For other technical activities, the decree introduces a proportional system: a fee of €2,118 is applied for each set of 50 machines. For instance, 1–50 machines incur €2,118; 51–100 machines incur €4,236, and so on.

These changes reflect the growing role of technology suppliers in the regulated gambling sector. The rise of online platforms and their integration with land-based venues amplifies the importance of technical service providers.

Payment procedures and reporting obligations

The decree also sets out the operational framework for the payment of contributions.

Holders of A, A+, B, B+, E, F1 and F1+ licences must pay the contribution once per year, regardless of the actual duration of their activity within the calendar year.

For Class C and F2 licences, the contribution is paid once prior to the issuance of the licence. This payment covers the entire duration of the concession — five years for Class C licences and three years for F2 licences.

The measure also introduces a reporting obligation for Class E licence holders. They must notify the Kansspelcommissie by 1 March 2026 of the number of machines made available as of 1 January 2026. They must also report the number of games produced, sold or imported during 2025.

The goal is to make it easier to track gaming equipment and help the regulator monitor the market.

A key element of Belgium’s regulatory strategy

In recent years, Belgium has reinforced its gambling regulations. The country now restricts gambling advertising more strictly and has raised the minimum gambling age to 21, one of the highest in Europe.

The new fees are part of the government’s efforts to keep the regulator working effectively and maintain strong rules for the gambling sector.

The measure takes retroactive effect from 1 January 2026 and applies to all holders of Class A, A+, B, B+, C, E, F1, F1+ and F2 licences.

With these changes, Belgium aims to strengthen the resources of the Kansspelcommissie to address new market challenges while balancing sector growth with consumer protection.

This article was first published in Italian on 13 March 2026.

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