EU-Regulated National
Belgium licence.
KGC/CJH
Operators with Belgian land-based partner, brand equity built before 2020, no bonus dependency.
What the regulator asks for
Year one cost
€200k-€500k Year 1
Combined licence types (A+, B+, F1+) require linkage to a Belgian land-based licence holder (joint venture or partnership). Real cost is the partnership economics, not the application fee.
Timeline
6-9 months
Kansspelcommissie (KGC/CJH) is thorough. Land-based partnership pre-condition extends practical timelines.
Gaming tax
11% GGR (online and land-based casino). Federal stamp duty applies.
Marketing climate
Among Europe's strictest. Royal Decree 27 February 2023 near-total advertising ban. Sports stadium ad ban from 1 January 2025. Full sports sponsorship ban from 1 January 2028 (logos capped at 75 cm² on jerseys until then). Bonuses and free bets banned since 2020. Cumulation of online licence types on same domain prohibited; split player accounts required.
The market
Belgium is structurally restrictive. Minimum gambling age raised to 21 from 1 September 2024. Net deposit limit €200/week. Joint-venture requirement with land-based partner is the entry barrier. Blacklist mechanism formalised legal basis since May 2024. June 2024 ex parte cease-and-desist proceedings available to Brussels Enterprise Court. October 2024 Council of State ruling: virtual betting on non-real events excluded from Gaming Act.
How the application runs
KGC application via land-based licensee partner. Belgian entity. Software certification.
Ongoing compliance
EPIS national self-exclusion. €200/week net deposit limit enforced. Bonus ban. 21+ age verification. Real-time KGC data feed. AML under Belgian financial-intelligence framework.
What you can and cannot say
Near-total ban. No bonuses, no free bets, severely limited sponsorship, no broadcast advertising in most contexts.
The honest read
What it means for your plan
Belgium is harder to enter than the licence price suggests because of the partnership pre-requisite and the marketing prohibition. Stable, profitable for incumbents, deeply unattractive for newcomers without a Belgian land-based foothold.
How to open an online casino here
The step by step for Belgium: entity, application, key function holders, documents, systems, and the audit before go live.
Read the Belgium guideCompare
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