ADM · Italy
Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli
The customs and monopolies agency, which awards Italian online gaming concessions by public tender rather than open licensing.
Gaming Commission
The Belgian commission, where an online licence must be attached to an existing land-based licence.
What this authority does
Belgium regulates online gambling through supplementary licences, marked with a plus sign, which can only be held by a company that already holds the corresponding land-based licence: A+ for online casino alongside a casino licence, B+ alongside a gaming arcade licence, and F1+ alongside a betting licence. Because the number of land-based licences is capped, the number of online licences is capped too, and entering the Belgian market in practice means acquiring or partnering with an existing licence holder.
Belgium has moved further than most European markets on advertising. A general prohibition on gambling advertising took effect in 2023, with limited transitional arrangements for sports sponsorship, and the minimum age for betting and casino play was raised to 21 for most products. Default deposit limits apply across licensees unless a customer passes additional checks to raise them.
The EPIS register handles exclusion, and it covers more than voluntary self-exclusion: certain categories of person, including those under a court-ordered measure, are barred from gambling and must be screened out at account level.
Licences it issues
- A+ online casino
- B+ online gaming arcade
- F1+ online betting
What supervision concentrates on
- Licensing tied to land-based licences
- The EPIS exclusion register
- Advertising prohibition
- Deposit limits
Markets on file under this authority
| Market | Online casino | Sports betting | Licensing model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | Tied to land-based | Tied to land-based | Online licence tied to a land-based licence |
Questions about the BGC
Other authorities in Europe
AGCC · Alderney
Alderney Gambling Control Commission
A Channel Island regulator whose two-category licence separates the customer relationship from the platform.
ANJ · France
Autorité nationale des jeux
The French regulator, which licenses online betting and poker but not online casino games.
DGOJ · Spain
Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego
The Spanish regulator, which operates a two-tier licence and some of Europe's strictest advertising limits.
UKGC · Great Britain
Gambling Commission
The licensing body for all gambling offered to customers in Great Britain, whether the operator is based there or not.
GRAI · Ireland
Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland
The authority created in 2024 to license Irish gambling for the first time under a single framework.