Belgian Gaming Commission

The Belgian Gaming Commission (BGA) provides oversight to online casinos and issues licenses for digital operators within its borders. Players and companies are responsible for adhering to online gambling regulations.

Individuals are also subject to hefty fines for breaking the laws governing online gaming. Gambling at an unlicensed digital casino brings strict and swift repercussions.

The Commission regulates operations and individual players to protect the gaming community from disreputable, unlicensed casinos.

While the government does not intend to make gambling difficult for well-meaning gambling operations, it monitors online casinos carefully to ensure that each platform is licensed and following regulations.

Belgian Gaming Commission
Liam O'Sullivan
Written byLiam O'SullivanWriter
Researched byPriya PatelResearcher

BGA Licensed Online Casinos

The Belgian Gaming Commission is one of the strictest regulatory bodies in Europe. Requiring specific licensing for online gambling, the Commission works to ensure safety as citizens access the web to wager money. In 2011, the Belgian Gambling Act detailed three different gambling licenses available for casino operators.

For online casinos, the A+ license governed how an operator managed land-based or online business. A B license regulates gambling arcades. The F1 license is specifically for gambling operations, which include betting and wagering. The process to obtain an online casino license is slow, and applicants must adhere to stringent requirements for approval.

Belgian Gaming Commission Enforcement

Unlicensed international online casinos market to the Belgian population. In fact, these illegal online casino platforms attempt to reach gamblers throughout Europe without obtaining the proper licensing.

Lack of regulation is one reason that the illegal online casinos are generally successful at infiltrating the digital gambling markets in Europe without licensure. However, Belgian regulators are sparing no expense in blacklisting unlicensed casinos.

Any operator providing services in the region without a license runs the risk of getting hit with a hefty fine up to €100,000. Operators must have a licensed land-based casino to qualify for an online casino license.

About BGA License

Online casino operators are required to have a license to provide services to Belgian citizens. For more than 10 years since the enactment of Belgian’s Gaming Act, nine operators have obtained licensure to operate in the region.

Only those land-based casinos may also operate online. While some land-based casino operations partner with existing online businesses. Regulations require that the server hosting online casinos must have a location based in Belgium.

These regulations restrict international casinos without a Belgian presence from operating legally.
Gamblers are likewise responsible for ensuring that the online casino is licensed. Players who frequent unlicensed online casinos run the risk of getting fined €25,000.

Belgian’s online gambling regulations are strict for both operators and players to ensure the systems integrity. Lack of knowledge about the gambling landscape is not an excuse for circumventing fines related to illegal gambling.

Online casino operators must provide proof of financial stability by guaranteeing to pay the Commission a fee equally €250,000.

All licensed casinos operating on the web must also pay an eleven percent gross revenue tax of gambling funds received from patrons. Other licensing requirements for online casinos include operating with integrity, transparent fees, and gambling addiction prevention.

About the author
Liam O'Sullivan
Liam O'Sullivan
About

Liam O'Sullivan, an Irish digital maestro, seamlessly fuses his impeccable command of English with an enthusiastic penchant for online gaming. Highly regarded for his localization expertise, Liam fine-tunes online casino guides, ensuring they resonate profoundly with the diverse English-speaking populace.

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