Belgium’s gambling market has shown remarkable resilience, with the Commission des Jeux de Hasard (CJH), the country’s gambling regulator, reporting a 16.7% increase in gross gaming revenue (GGR) for 2023. The total GGR for the year reached €1.7bn (£1.5bn/$1.9bn), a significant rise from €1.5bn in 2022, despite the Belgian government imposing tougher restrictions on the sector.
Growth in Online and Offline Markets
The surge in GGR was driven by robust performance across both online and offline gambling sectors. Online gambling GGR grew by 18% to €944.6m, demonstrating the increasing shift towards digital platforms. Meanwhile, offline gambling also saw substantial growth, with GGR reaching €758m, a 15.2% year-on-year increase.
This growth comes in the face of heightened regulations introduced by the Belgian government. Since 2022, operators have been required to enforce a weekly loss limit for players, which was reduced from €500 to €200. Further tightening occurred in mid-2023, when a ban on all gambling advertising came into effect on July 1, following an unsuccessful attempt by a consortium of Belgian sports teams and operators to overturn the decision.
Casino Sector Leads the Charge
Belgium’s casino sector was a standout performer in 2023, with GGR increasing by 18.7% to €594.9m. This growth was largely fueled by a 20.2% rise in online casino revenue, which reached €455m. Although brick-and-mortar casinos did not match the growth rate of their online counterparts, they still reported a 14.3% increase in GGR, totaling €139.9m.
Among the nine land-based casinos in Belgium, Grand Casino Brussels, operated by Casinos Austria International, led the market with an offline GGR of €52.5m. Circus Casino Resort Namur followed with €22.5m. However, Casino Blankenberge, acquired by Kindred Group in 2020, was the only venue to report a year-on-year decline in GGR.
Mixed Results for Slot Arcades and Sports Betting
Slot arcades also saw strong growth, with GGR rising by 17.3% to €437m. Online activity was a key driver, accounting for 57.7% of slot hall revenue and growing by 19.4% to €252m. In-person slot arcade GGR increased by 14.5% to €184.9m.
In contrast, the sports betting sector experienced more modest growth, with GGR increasing by 8.4% to €390m. Online sports betting remained dominant, contributing 60.9% of the sector’s total GGR and growing by 12.8% to €237.6m. Revenue from betting shops grew at a slower pace, rising by just 2.3% to €152.4m.
The CJH noted that ten of the 24 licensed operators were responsible for 96% of offline bets and 94% of online wagers, highlighting the concentration of the market. Despite there being 30 available licenses, only 24 were in use throughout the year.
Newsagents Hit Hard by New Regulations
The only sector to experience a significant decline was betting at newsagents. New restrictions imposed in 2022 limited betting hours to between 6 AM and 8 PM and capped annual stakes per newsagent at €250,000. These measures led to a 26.3% drop in GGR for newsagents, resulting in 21 refusals of license renewals, 82 licensees not seeking renewal, and 151 ceasing operations altogether. By the end of 2023, only 1,484 newsagents were still active, down from 1,580 at the end of 2022.
Ongoing Regulatory Changes
The Belgian government continues to implement new regulations aimed at tightening control over the gambling industry. From September 1, 2024, the legal gambling age in Belgium will increase from 18 to 21 years old. These changes have raised concerns about the potential impact on channelization towards legal markets, with Belgium-based operator Gaming1 warning in an April report that the ongoing regulatory shifts could drive more players to unregulated platforms.
Source:
Belgium reports 16.7% rise in 2023 GGR despite tighter regulatory controls, igamingbusiness.com, August 12, 2024.
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