Legislation
Gambling Act of 7 May 1999 and the Amendments of 2024
The Act of 7 May 1999 is the basis of Belgian gambling law. It sets the prohibition, the licence classes and their terms, the online supplementary licences, the age limit, the bonus and advertising bans, the EPIS register and the penalties. The Act of 18 February 2024, in force from 1 September 2024, tightened age, bonus, advertising and licence-cumulation rules.
Criminal Code Section 207 and Bill C-218
Section 207 of the Criminal Code lets provinces conduct and manage lottery schemes; the Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act (Bill C-218), in force from 27 August 2021, removed the federal bar on single-event sports betting.
Spellagen (2018:1138)
Spellagen has been in force since 1 January 2019. It replaced a limited-operator system with Swedish licensing, and has been amended since, including a rejected stricter marketing standard.
Glücksspielstaatsvertrag 2021 (GlüStV 2021)
The GlüStV 2021 has been in force since 1 July 2021. It makes virtual slots, online poker and online casino games licensable under restrictive conditions and created the GGL.
Remote Gambling Act (Wet Kansspelen op afstand, "Koa")
Koa entered into force on 1 April 2021 and amended the Betting and Gaming Act (Wok); online gambling became legal on 1 October 2021. Licences run for five years.
Rahapelilaki 10/2026 (Gambling Act)
The Gambling Act (10/2026), adopted 16 December 2025 and approved 16 January 2026, applies mainly from 1 July 2027. It replaces the Lotteries Act exclusive-rights system with licensing for betting, online casino, online bingo and online slots, while Veikkaus keeps an exclusive licence for lotteries, pools and physical gambling.