Belgium increases its crackdown on illegal gambling websites
Belgium has launched a sweeping legal framework to dismantle illegal gambling platforms, targeting not only the websites themselves but also the infrastructure that keeps them online. The Federal Public Service (FPS) Economy has enlisted multiple intermediary parties, including ISPs, technology vendors, and domain registrars, to make it increasingly difficult for unauthorised operators to reach Belgian users. Each site is confirmed as unlicensed before being added to the block list.
The clampdown is rooted in the country’s 2026 Gambling Reforms, which replace the 2011 Gambling Act. Reforms have reinforced licencing rules and have expanded enforcement powers. They have also imposed stricter penalties with the focus on reducing addiction, preventing fraud, and blocking unlicenced operators.
With the Federal Gambling Act of 1999 and the Lotteries Act of 1851 under their belts, authorities have been given more power to enforce universal licencing, stricter consumer protections, and a flat 5 per cent tax on gambling turnover.
The Belgian Gaming Commission oversees all operators, while unlicensed platforms face blocking measures and heavy fines. Article XVII.34/1 of the Belgian Code of Economic Law empowers the Business Court of Brussels to issue blocking orders not only against operators but also against intermediaries in the chain.
Six layers of enforcement
Belgium’s approach is one of the most comprehensive in the EU. While France and the Netherlands rely mainly on ISP blocking and fines, Belgium has added six layers of enforcement.
The first layer is that the ISPs (Proximus, Telenet, Orange Belgium, Starlink, etc) must block access to blacklisted sites. Followed by CDNs such as Cloudflare, which are prohibited from serving illegal operators. Furthermore, search engines such as Google are mandated to remove links to unlicenced platforms.
In addition, social media platforms like Meta are to ban the promotion of these advertisements. Moreover, domain registrars need to detect domains that use illegal gambling. Once identified, they must suspend or cancel them.
Meanwhile, DNS providers are earmarked to stop users from bypassing restrictions. Mirror sites are automatically added to the block list, and intermediaries must act within five working days of notification. Non-compliance carries fines of up to €500,000 ($588,500) per violation.
Early results
According to Paul Laurent, head of the Belgian Anti-Online Piracy & Illegal Gambling Office, 49 websites have already been blocked under the strengthened system. Belgium’s infrastructure-focused enforcement aligns with EU regulatory efforts but stands out for its breadth, making it one of the most aggressive crackdowns on illegal gambling in Europe.
But EU gambling regulation still remains fragmented since there is no single EU-wide licence. For example, a Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) licence does not automatically allow operations in Germany or France. But harmonisation is happening through shared principles like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for data protection and AMLD5 for anti-money laundering apply across all member states.
Additionally, responsible gambling tools and cross-border enforcement cooperation are in full swing, such as the use of AI and payment monitoring. Belgium’s latest crackdown fits into this broader trend by aligning with EU standards while keeping national control.
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