Brussels — The Belgian Gambling Commission (Kansspelcommissie, KSC) has urged the government to accelerate pending reforms after publishing its 2024 Annual Report, which revealed a sharp rise in player participation and enforcement activity across the country.
According to the report, an average of 155,643 players were active every day in 2024, marking a 37.4 % increase compared with 2020. Monthly participation reached 602,288 accounts, up almost 20 % year-on-year, while new registrations climbed to 193,342.
The KSC, chaired by Magali Clavie, also reported a significant rise in compliance actions, issuing 133 sanctions worth €4.6 million, nearly four times the amount imposed in 2023. In addition, 105 illegal gambling websites were blocked, and 101 unlicensed operators were investigated as part of broader efforts to tighten control over the online gaming sector.
Clavie used the report to call on Belgium’s incoming coalition government to implement long-discussed structural reforms. “Too much precious time has been wasted,” she warned, noting that the new 2025 government agreement “offers a glimpse of new perspectives” for the country’s regulatory framework.
The regulator is advocating for its oversight to move under the Ministry of the Economy, with increased funding and personnel to meet what it describes as the “demands of a modern market.”
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The Belgian gambling market generated €1.16 billion in gross gaming revenue (GGR) in 2024, according to estimates cited in the report, with online operations accounting for nearly half of that figure. Enforcement and consumer protection remain central priorities, as the regulator continues to push for stricter advertising rules, improved player verification systems, and tighter control of online payments.
The KSC’s message comes as regulators across Europe revisit their frameworks for online gambling. In contrast to the slow pace of reform in Belgium, Colombia and Peru have already enacted major updates to their online gaming laws in 2025, including advertising restrictions, tax adjustments, and digital traceability standards — moves that the Belgian regulator views as examples of faster institutional adaptation.
The Belgian gambling sector remains solid, but its regulator insists that growth must be matched by stronger oversight and transparency. “The figures are encouraging, but sustainability requires responsibility,” Clavie concluded. A growing market facing higher expectations
