The history of online gaming licenses and regulation

Online gaming didn’t appear overnight. Its development came with plenty of legal, technical, and social questions. How can players’ safety be guaranteed? Who can legally offer games of chance on the internet? And under what conditions? In Belgium, the sector is now one of the most tightly regulated in Europe. But it wasn’t always that way. This article takes a look at how gaming licenses and regulations have evolved, from the first physical authorizations to the strict rules that govern today’s online casinos. Let’s take a closer look at how and why licensed platforms like Casino1 provide a secure, transparent, and legal environment for players.

From tolerance to strict regulation

For a long time, games of chance in Belgium operated in a legal grey area. While the country’s first casinos date back to the 17th century (the Casino de Spa opened in 1763), a clear legal framework only came much later, in 1999, with the creation of the Belgian Gaming Commission (CJH). Its mission? To regulate the industry, issue licenses, monitor practices, and protect players. At the time, the law only applied to land-based establishments. But with the arrival of the internet, new challenges emerged. Belgian players began turning to foreign websites, often without oversight or guarantees. To fix this, legislation was updated in 2010, officially integrating online gaming into Belgium’s legal framework.

A system based on parallel licenses

In Belgium, you can’t just open an online casino freely. The model is based on what’s known as a parallel license system. To operate online, you must first hold a valid land-based license.
Here’s how it works:
License A / A+ : For land-based casinos and their online extensions.
License B / B+ : For automatic gaming halls and their dice game websites.
License F1 / F1+ : For betting operators, both in agencies and online.
License C : For games of chance in cafés (offline only).
License E : For technical suppliers and service providers.
License D : For gaming establishment staff.
License G : For games integrated into TV broadcasts.

This closed system limits how many licenses can exist. For example, only nine A-licensed casinos and 180 B-licensed gaming halls are authorized to operate simultaneously. As a result, there’s no such thing as a 100% online casino in Belgium, every operator must have a physical base in the country.

Increasingly strict requirements

Operators must meet a number of strict conditions to obtain or renew their license:

• Maintain a physical presence in Belgium.
• Have a local technical setup (servers located in Belgium).
• Ensure a permanent connection with the Belgian Gaming Commission for real-time monitoring.
• Provide documentation on ownership, solvency, tax transparency, and payment security.

The process is rigorous and monitored at every step, with potential sanctions or website blocks for operators that fail to comply.

Conclusion: a unique model in Europe

With its intertwined license system, strong focus on responsible gaming, and evolving legal framework, Belgium ranks among the most demanding countries in Europe when it comes to regulating games of chance. This model ensures greater transparency, improved player protection, and a clear legal structure for operators. Before you play on any site, always check whether it appears on the official list of authorized operators, available on the Belgian Gaming Commission’s website.

And remember, before you play, the best habit stays the same:
make sure the site is licensed in Belgium, so you can enjoy the experience safely and responsibly.