Betting (licence F1 - F2 - F1+)

You can find the lists of all active licences here:

• F1 licences (betting operators)
• F2 licences (betting shops)
• F2 licences (bookmakers)
• F2 licences (newsagents)
• F2 licences (racing associations)
• F1+ licences (online betting)

• Offline

A class F1 licence is required for the organisation of betting, while a class F2 licence is required for the taking of bets. The Gaming Commission (GC) is competent for betting on sports results, horse racing and events.

Offline betting can be done in betting shops, at bookmakers, in newsagents and at racetracks.
 

     1. F1 licence
 

There is currently no possibility to apply for an F1 licence. If a vacant licence is published by the GC, an application will have to be submitted in accordance with the special procedure laid down by royal decree. See  "Royal decree of 22 December 2010 on the maximum number of betting establishments and the procedure for processing licence applications in the event that a licence becomes vacant as a result of being withdrawn or stopped". In the event of a vacancy, further information will follow.

A class F1 licence is valid for 9 years.

The following documents must be sent for the submission of a renewal application:

•    The application form , duly completed, dated and signed;

•    The full identity of the shareholders of the company (name, address, date of birth, place of birth and national register number/company number);

•    A recent criminal record extract from the country of residence for directors/managers who reside in another country than Belgium and/or have resided in a foreign country in the last 5 years;

•    A list of the type(s) of betting events (betting on sporting events, betting on horse racing and betting on other events);

•    The general betting rules;

•    A list of the places where betting takes place;

•    An updated list of companies in which the directors/managers and the shareholders own shares. This list includes the exact number of shares, the name of the company and its corporate purpose;

•    An updated list of companies in which the directors/managers and the shareholders hold a directorship. This list includes a description of the position, the name of the company and its corporate purpose;

•    A dated and signed sworn statement in which each director/manager declares that they do not exercise direct or indirect control over a company holding a class E licence;

•    A tax certificate issued by the Federal Public Service Finance stating that all confirmed and undisputed tax debts have been paid;

•    For foreign licensees: A tax certificate issued by the country where the company’s head office is located stating that all confirmed and undisputed tax debts have been paid;

•    A tax certificate from the Regional Tax Administration from the region(s) where betting is organised stating that all confirmed and undisputed tax debts have been paid. Certificate requests can be submitted to relatiebeheer@vlaanderen.be (Flanders), https://fiscaliteit.brussels/fiscale-adviezen (Brussels-Capital), or fiscalite.wallonie@spw.wallonie.be (Wallonia).
 

The following documents are also required for the financial and transparency analysis:

•    A complete group organisation chart showing all links (and share percentages) with the various parent companies, subsidiaries, sister companies, etc.;

•    A copy of both sides of the identity card or passport of foreign directors/managers;

•    The final beneficiary form: It is necessary to complete one form for each director/manager and shareholder being a legal entity, starting with a form containing the data of the licensee in the box above and of its directors/managers and shareholders in the table below, and completing another form for each legal entity director/manager and shareholder, and so on until the final beneficiary is reached. If none of the directors/managers and shareholders is a legal entity, only one form containing the details of the licensee must be filled in.

Criminal record extracts, tax certificates and sworn statements must not have been issued more than 3 months before the submission of the renewal application. 

The GC may request additional information if the transparency of the legal entity renewing the licence is not sufficiently guaranteed by the documents submitted. The GC may verify at any time the accuracy and reliability of the documents submitted.

If the licensee is an EU national or a legal entity under the law of an EU Member State, they must attach similar foreign documents (e.g. extract from foreign criminal record) to the licence renewal application and their official translation into Dutch, French or German. 

 

• Online

A supplementary F1+ licence is required for organising betting online.

Only F1 licensees may apply for an F1+ licence.

Supplementary licences are valid for the same period as offline licences and must be renewed at the same time.

The following documents must be sent to apply for a supplementary licence and for the submission of a renewal application:

•    The application form, duly completed, dated and signed;

•    The full identity of the shareholders of the company (name, address, date of birth, place of birth and national register number/company number);

•    A recent criminal record extract from the country of residence for directors/managers who reside in another country than Belgium and/or have resided in a foreign country in the last 5 years;

•    A tax certificate issued by the Federal Public Service Finance stating that all confirmed and undisputed tax debts have been paid;

•    For foreign applicants/licensees: A tax certificate issued by the country where the company’s head office is located stating that all confirmed and undisputed tax debts have been paid;

•    A tax certificate from the Regional Tax Administration from the region where the servers are located stating that all confirmed and undisputed tax debts have been paid. Certificate requests can be submitted to relatiebeheer@vlaanderen.be (Flanders), https://fiscaliteit.brussels/fiscale-adviezen (Brussels-Capital), or fiscalite.wallonie@spw.wallonie.be (Wallonia);

•    Proof of offline activity;

•    The conditions under which bets can be offered, covering at least player registration and identification, age control, bets offered, betting rules, payment methods and prize distribution;

•    A website map including the name of the website, its structure, the location where the website is managed (address of servers), an indication of permanent contact possibilities and the person in charge of managing the website;

•    A detailed list of the nature and types of bets;

•    Details of a contact person who can be reached at all times;

•    Proof that there is a permanent data link between the website and the Gaming Commission (GC);

•    A detailed plan explaining how the security of payment transactions between the operator and the player is guaranteed. This plan must include at least:
- The technical characteristics of the current plan;
- The permanent safety checks that will be carried out in the future;

•    The policy that the applicant/licensee is implementing to prevent groups socially vulnerable to games of chance from logging onto the website;

•    A description of the complaint resolution process that applies to players, including:
- The fact that the GC must be able to take cognisance of any complaint registered by a player;
- The fact that the complaints procedure is permanently available to the player (this procedure must be available free of charge on the website);
- The measures taken by the applicant/licensee to ensure that complaints can be dealt with at all times;

•    The advertising policy implemented by the applicant/licensee, including:
- The fact that the current advertising policy observes a certain restraint;
- Contact details for an advertising campaign manager who must be empowered to terminate an advertising campaign at the request of the GC;

•    The identity of the E-licenced partner who provides and maintains the platform;

•    For new applications: Proof that the applicant has sufficient financial resources to pay the €75,000 guarantee.
 

The following documents are also required for the financial and transparency analysis:

•    A complete group organization chart showing all links (and share percentages) with the various parent companies, subsidiaries, sister companies, etc.;

•    A copy of both sides of the identity card or passport of foreign directors/managers;

•    The final beneficiary form: It is necessary to complete one form for each director/manager and shareholder being a legal entity, starting with a form containing the data of the applicant/licensee in the box above and of its directors/managers and shareholders in the table below, and completing another form for each legal entity director/manager and shareholder, and so on until the final beneficiary is reached. If none of the directors/managers and shareholders is a legal entity, only one form containing the details of the applicant/licensee must be filled in.

Criminal record extracts, tax certificates and sworn statements must not have been issued more than 3 months before the submission of the (renewal) application.

The GC may request additional information if the transparency of the legal entity applying for the licence/renewing the licence is not sufficiently guaranteed by the documents submitted. The GC may verify at any time the accuracy and reliability of the documents submitted.

If the applicant/licensee is an EU national or a legal entity under the law of an EU Member State, they must attach similar foreign documents (e.g. extract from foreign criminal record) to the licence application and their official translation into Dutch, French or German.
 

    2. F2 licence