The Gaming Commission (GC) in Belgium has released its licence fees for 2024. The amounts specified will be contributed by operators in the country to the GC for operating, personnel and establishment costs, with the amount differentiating based on the permit class of the licence holder.
The contributions were drafted in a royal decree that was approved by the Council of Ministers under a proposal from the Minister of Justice Paul Van Tigchelt. Currently, the royal decree is unpublished, meaning the GC’s secretariat has yet to send payment invitations to licence holders.
The invitations are expected to be forwarded to licence holders after the decree is published.
The amount licensees are required to pay in 2024 ranges from €22,085 ($24,193) - €123 ($135). The highest amount is expected to be paid by class A and G1 permit holders, while the lowest is to be paid by G2 permit holders. The licence classes in Belgium are broken down as follows, though are not presented in highest to lowest contribution order: A, A+, B, B+, C, D, E, F1, F1+, G1 and G2.
A-class licences refer to land-based casinos, B to slot machines, E to manufacturers, F to betting and G to media games. C and D licences refer to cafe and staff licences respectively. D-class permits were not given a specified contribution price.
As well as being the authority on gaming licences, the GC keeps note of developing trends in the sector in Belgium, compiling reports on player behaviour. A September 2023 report found that, in a survey group of 1,000 18–30-year-olds, 62% gambled once a month or less, with 13% playing daily. The survey also found that only 36% of participants could determine the difference between legal and illegal gambling sites.
Elsewhere, Pragmatic Play this week launched its live casino games in Belgium through a partnership with Circus brand owner Gaming1. The partnership will also see the games available on Circus’ site in the Netherlands.
