Gambling Industry in Belgium

As one of the most advanced European countries, Belgium has licensed and regulated all of its gambling activities. The most important legislative piece that provided the legal framework for the development of gambling in the country is the Law of May, 1999, originally called Wet van 7 mei 1999 op de kansspelen, de weddenschappen, de kansspelinrichtingen end de bescherming van de spelers.

The Belgian Gaming Commission regulates all gambling activities in the country. If you’re interested in obtaining a license in this country, please read our short guide carefully to learn more.

Types of Belgium Gambling Licenses

Belgium offers four types of licenses:

Opening a casino requires license A. However, if you also want to offer casino games and betting on the internet, you’ll have to acquire an A+ license.
Amusement arcades require a B license. Those who want to operate this type of activity on the web need to apply for license B+.
Cafés and establishments that sell alcohol can also offer up to two gambling games, such as bingo and one-ball, and they need to acquire license C for that.
Finally, bookmakers need license F. When it comes to these types of licenses, several categories are available. An F1 license is for organising bets, and F2 is for taking bets on account of F1 license holders. Online betting is also a possibility, but you’ll have to acquire license F+ for that.

B2B operators will have to obtain license E, which includes various operations related to games of chance, such as sale, rental, supply, import, export, and more.

Gambling Law Advantages

All forms of gambling are legal in Belgium, including online gambling. The country’s lawmakers made a detailed legal framework that consists of many licenses, and some are designed exclusively for online operators.

Therefore, by obtaining a license in Belgium, you’ll have an opportunity to enjoy the benefits of a highly regulated market.

Key Requirements to Get a License

All residents of the EU and companies registered in the Union can apply for A and B licenses. Every applicant for A, B, E, and F1 licenses need to submit the following information:

Copies of the tax returns for the last three years;
Information on directors and shareholders (for legal entity);
Proof of solvency for the applicant;
Information about the games that are going to be offered;
Rules for the games that are going to be offered.

License Cost and Taxes

Depending on the type of license, applicants will have to pay a different warranty. Those applying for license A will have to pay €250,000, while B license applicants need to spare €75,000. F1 license holders will have to pay €10,000 to acquire it. License holders also need to pay annual fees to renew their licenses.

Casino operators need to pay 15% tax (11% in the area of Walloon) for gross wagers amount. Horse and dog races also come with a 15% on the gross margin.

Finally, all wagers that take place online are subject to an 11% tax on the gross margin, which is calculated as the total amount wagered minus the distributed prizes.

Casinos are also taxed on the gross margin depending on the type of games they offer. A fixed tax affects gaming machines, applied to all establishments that have licenses A, B, or C.

Application Procedure

The application procedure is different depending on the type of license you’re applying for. Moreover, the Belgian Gaming Commission is required to process your request within a specified timeframe. That time frame depends on the license. For instance, the Commission must process F1 licenses within six months.

The first step is to complete an application form that will help the Gambling Commission identify you as an applicant and address your license suitability. If you pass the first step, you will have to provide the necessary documents listed above to ensure that you meet all the license requirements.

Maintenance

Apart from the cost of obtaining a license, you’ll have to pay an annual maintenance fee that differs depending on your license type. Moreover, you should pay attention to the taxes, which are either 11% or 15%, depending on your area and type of business.

Licenses expire after some time. Here’s a short overview:

A Class A license is valid for 15 years.
A Class B license is valid for nine years.
A Class C license is valid for five years.
A Class E license is valid for a decade.
A Class F license is valid for nine years.

If you’re not sure how to apply for a license in Belgium, feel free to reach out at cs@softgamings.com, and our team of professionals will help you out.