Belgium gambling regulator warns of rise in illegal operators

The Belgian legal gambling market is facing a significant shift as the number of new legal players dropped by approximately 43% in 2025, falling from 193,342 in 2024 to 110,032. According to the 2025 annual report from the Commission des jeux de hasard, while the total legal market remains stable at 1.62 billion euros, there is growing concern regarding a migration toward illegal operators.

Online gaming revenue rose by 5.41% to 964.46 million euros, now accounting for nearly 60% of the legal market, while physical land-based gaming saw a decline of 7.17%. To combat illegal activity, authorities conducted 9,842 inspections and reported 8,528 instances of illegal advertising to Meta. Since early 2025, 370 new websites have been blacklisted.

A DataSynergy survey of individuals aged 18 to 30 indicated that 28% have used illegal sites. Additionally, 39% of respondents aged 18 to 20 reported continuing to gamble despite the legal age being raised to 21.