Belgium maintains iGaming growth but BAGO warns of fresh player decline

By jili tutorial · September 18, 2026

Belgium’s iGaming Market Grows, but New Player Numbers Plunge: A Deep Dive into the 2025 Report

Belgium’s licensed online gambling sector posted modest revenue growth in 2025, yet the annual report from the country’s gambling regulator, the Kansspelcommissie (KSC), reveals a striking 43% drop in first-time players. This trend, coupled with an aggressive black market, raises serious questions about the long‑term viability of the regulated framework. Below we unpack the data, explain the regulatory changes, and examine the warnings from operator association BAGO.

H2: Market Growth Overview: Online GGR Rises, Land‑Based Falls

The KSC’s 2025 Annual Report recorded online gross gaming revenue (GGR) of €965 million (approximately £826 million), a 5.4% increase year‑on‑year. Online gambling now represents 59% of Belgium’s total regulated gambling market – cementing its position as the most popular channel among Belgian consumers.

In contrast, revenue from land‑based gambling (casinos, gaming arcades, cafés) declined by 7% to €656.09 million. These contrasting figures underline a structural shift: players are moving online, but the online market itself is struggling to attract new entrants under the current regulatory regime.

What is GGR?
Gross Gaming Revenue is the total amount wagered by players minus the winnings paid out. It is the standard metric used by regulators to measure market size and tax liabilities.

H2: The Sharp Decline in New (First‑Time) Players

H3: Data Collection Changes Affect Comparability

The 2025 report marks a significant change in how the KSC gathers data from licensees. Since 2024, operators have been required to submit financial information digitally on a quarterly basis. However, the regulator initially lacked the capacity to process all submissions correctly. The appointment of a full‑time employee to its Financial Control unit in December 2025 allowed for retrospective analysis and corrections – meaning the 2025 figures are more complete than previous years.

Despite this improved methodology, the headline figure is stark: only 110,032 people registered to gamble online for the first time in 2025 – down 43.1% from 193,342 in 2024.

H3: The Minimum Gambling Age Hike

The KSC attributes a large part of this decline to Belgium’s decision to raise the minimum gambling age from 18 to 21, effective 1 September 2024. This change directly removes 18‑ to 20‑year‑olds from the legal market. Notably, the report shows that the largest group of new players in 2025 were aged 21–29, confirming that the older segment still enters the market, but the pipeline from younger adults has been cut.

Important distinction: The report counts first‑time players – unique individuals who gamble online for the very first time – not every new account opened across operators. This means the 43% drop reflects a real contraction in the pool of new consumers entering the regulated system.

H3: Daily Active Players Rise Despite Fewer Newcomers

Oddly, while new player recruitment collapsed, the average number of daily active online players grew by 3% to 160,144. Across the whole year, 528,706 unique individuals gambled online at least once. This suggests that existing players are playing more frequently, but the market is not broadening its base – a classic sign of a mature or saturated user group.

H2: Land‑Based Gambling: Fewer Visits, Mixed Revenue

Physical gambling venues continued to lose footfall. Average daily visits to arcades, casinos, and cafés fell by 24.5% to just 27,532.

Venue Type	GGR 2025	Change vs 2024
Casinos	€152.29m	+5.85%
Gaming Arcades	(declined)	−4.17%
Cafés (bingo, other)	€196.01m	−17.77%

Why the divergence?
Casinos managed to boost revenue per visitor (likely through higher‑value table games or slot machines), whereas cafés – which often rely on low‑stakes bingo and small‑scale gambling – suffered from both fewer visits and lower spending.

H2: Player Protection and the EPIS Exclusion System

Belgium’s Excluded Persons Information System (EPIS) is a central register that blocks self‑excluded and problem gamblers from all licensed venues (physical and online). In 2025:

Voluntary exclusions rose to 66,998 (compared to 56,458 in 2024).
16,358 new applications were received during the year – 76% were submitted through the digital identification service.
Operators blocked 715,373 physical and online visits in 2025 after checking against EPIS.

A key regulatory change came into effect 1 May 2025: operators must now check every player against EPIS before granting access – not just at registration. This tighter requirement explains the high number of blocked visits.

H2: BAGO’s Warning: “Belgium Nears a Channelisation Reckoning”

The Belgian Association of Gambling Operators (BAGO) reacted strongly to the report. The association’s main concerns:

Black market exposure: 28% of respondents aged 18–30 admitted to playing on illegal gambling sites – an “alarm signal that cannot be ignored.”
Invisibility of legal options: “The far‑reaching restrictions imposed on licensed operators render legal and regulated gaming alternatives invisible, while the illegal and clandestine circuit continues its aggressive marketing.”
Lack of protection: Players on unlicensed sites do not benefit from EPIS access control, deposit limits, or KSC oversight. Moreover, they can face criminal prosecution for knowingly participating in unauthorised gambling.

BAGO’s call to action is directed at KSC Chair Magali Clavie: she must develop a direct response to protect consumers and licensed operators from black market encroachment. The association urges the regulator to “strengthen the regulator and urge the government to preserve a recognisable legal offering and prioritise action against illegal providers and their financial flows.”

H2: The Broader Regulatory Tightening – Three Years of Restriction

Belgian operators have faced a wave of new rules over the past three years:

Comprehensive advertising ban – no TV, radio, or digital ads for gambling.
Age increase to 21 – as discussed.
Compulsory KYC procedures – stricter identity verification and financial checks.

Despite these measures, the KSC has not published a formal strategy to counter illegal gambling. BAGO argues that while restrictions aim to protect players, they also push casual gamblers toward unlicensed sites that operate with no safeguards.

Example of channelisation risk: A 22‑year‑old who previously saw a legal ad for an operator now turns to a foreign website that appears on social media. That site is unregulated, offers no deposit limits, and may not honour withdrawals. The Belgian authorities have no visibility or control.

H2: What This Means for the Future

The 2025 report highlights a paradox: the regulated online market is growing in revenue, but it is failing to attract new participants. Combined with a thriving black market – especially among younger demographics – the sustainability of the current framework is in question.

The next steps will depend on whether Magali Clavie and the KSC can balance consumer protection with market visibility. Operators want a “recognisable legal offering” – meaning less restrictive advertising rules or at least enforcement against illegal sites. Without that, the decline in fresh players may accelerate, and the black market’s share will likely grow.