Age requirements for sports betting, arcades and bingo have now been raised to be in line with land-based casinos where, since 2018, players have had to be 21 to gamble. The changes were agreed in February 2024 and confirmed by royal decree last month, overriding numerous gambling laws dating back several decades in Belgium.
The new law is the latest attempt to constrain the legal gambling industry, with a royal decree designed to almost completely ban advertising passed in 2023. Since 2020, Belgium has banned bonuses and free bets, while also introducing a €200 (£171.48/$216.54) weekly deposit limit. There is also now a prohibition on the cumulation of online licences on the same website.