Belgian Sports Betting

Both online and land-based sports betting are legal and regulated. Sports betting operators require an F1 license for land-based operations and an F1+ license for online offerings.

Before the passage of the new Belgian Gambling Act in 2010, sports betting was not subject to regulation by the Belgian government, and unlike shops offering bets on horse racing, sports betting shops did not require licensing from the government. There were as many as 500 unlicensed sports betting shops operating in the country. The industry was brought under the control of the Belgian Gaming Commission in 2011, when the new Gambling Act went into effect.

The first attempt to bring bookmaking under the control of the Belgian Gaming Commission occurred in 2007, when there was a failed effort at new legislation by the Belgian government.

Under the new act, the Belgian Gaming Commission has control over licensing and regulation of sportsbooks. Land-based operators must apply for F1 and F2 licenses to be able to organize and accept bets, both online and offline. The legislation provides for a maximum of 34 operators, and the number of betting shops is capped at 1,000.