Belgium Betting Sites and Bookmakers
Sports betting is a very popular pastime amongst Belgians who wagered close to €300 million on sports in 2012. Betting in Belgium is a pretty popular activity. This represented approximately 30% of all gambling revenues, so betting sites also generate a lot of income for the government.
This amount of sports betting companies Belgium revenue is significantly smaller than in other European countries, but Belgian bookies are doing their best. This country also has a significantly smaller population than many other European countries.
And, when you compare it with the population, you will see that online betting Belgium is really big and popular. The majority of Belgians are interested in playing at sports betting sites. Belgium is also one of the most regulated markets in the world besides UK bookmakers and Sweden betting sites, which makes Belgian sportsbooks some of safest.
- 1Play at the Best Betting Sites Belgium
- 2A Short History of Sport Betting Sites Belgium
- 3Interesting Facts About Bet Belgium & Online Gambling
- 4Regulations for Belgium Legal Betting Sites
- 5What are the Best Sports Betting Sites and Bookmakers for Belgium?
- 6What are the Most Popular Sports in Belgium?
- 7Are there any Sports Betting Bonuses and Free Bets for Belgian Players?
- 8Most Popular Bets in Belgium Betting Sites
- 9Picking the Best Betting Sites Belgium
- 10A Simple Guide for Playing on Belgian Betting Sites
- 11Most Popular Payment Methods for Belgium Betting Sites
- 12Safety and Security of Belgian Betting Sites
- 13Pros and Cons of Betting Sites Belgium
- 14FAQ About Belgium Betting Sites
Top 10 Betting Sites for Belgium in 05 November 2024 – Updated List
Play at the Best Betting Sites Belgium
A Short History of Sport Betting Sites Belgium
Until 1999, “gray rules” were in effect for Belgium gambling. There was no law regulating land-based and online gambling in the country, and online gambling was not quite common in those years. Belgian players were betting using physical bookmakers instead of betting sites, and a few casinos in the country were operating with a permit from the Ministry of Tourism.
In 1999, the Gambling Act came into effect. This law only regulated land-based gambling until 2011. By law, gambling and sports betting Belgium were now legal, but they had to obtain a license from the Gaming Commission. In 2011, the law was updated, and started to cover Belgium betting sites and online casinos too. In other words, online casinos and Belgian betting sites were also legalized.
Despite this, there are not many betting sites available in Belgium, as the law is quite strict. In fact, if we had prepared a list of gambling sites by country, Belgium would rank quite low. If you want to see the official list of betting sites in Belgium, you can check these PDF files: There are a little more than a dozen brands. Below we provide more detailed information about Belgium gambling sites and law.
Interesting Facts About Bet Belgium & Online Gambling
Tip
- Half of the players in the country play for real money. The other half just plays casino games in demo mode. With the exception of scratch cards and lotteries, the player base uses virtual credits for gambling.
- The most popular forms of real money gambling are lotteries (53.9%), Scratch cards (43.6%), Sports betting (including live betting) (6.0%), and video slots (2.6%).
- 76% of the players prefer unlicensed Belgium betting sites. This shows that best online betting sites Belgium are not located in Belgium – ironic.
- On average, people gamble once a week.
- Older players prefer lotteries, younger players prefer sports betting (especially matched betting Belgium)
- Men prefer poker and sports betting. Women prefer casino games, especially slots.
Regulations for Belgium Legal Betting Sites
Let’s start with the “is online sports betting legal in Belgium” question. Online sports wagering is legal in Belgium and hundreds of millions of Euros are spent on Belgium betting every year. The legal age for betting in Belgium is 21. Belgian land-based casinos and online betting Belgium sites are very strict with this.
Websites must go to great lengths to verify the age and identity of their customers before starting to accept Belgium best bets. Having the legal age set at 21 as opposed to 18 or 19 is intended to curb problem gambling.
At the moment, there are three laws for gambling in Belgium. These are:
- Gambling Act of 1999 (regulates land-based casinos, online casinos, and betting sites Belgium)
- Lotteries Act of 1851 (yes, it is that old)
- National Lottery Act of 2002
All forms of gambling require getting a license from the Gaming Commission. This includes online casinos and bookmakers Belgium too. The commission is a part of the Ministry of Justice. The web addresses of all online gambling sites licensed by this commission ends with “.be”. The Gambling Commission is quite strict, and the tax rates are pretty high. To give you an idea, the tax rate for land-based gambling operations can be as high as 44% of the gross gaming revenue. This is lower for online gambling operators (around 11%) but the King himself keeps “updating” these rates pretty frequently.
The Gambling Commission works with ISPs on the country and blocks access to all bookmakers by country that are not licensed by itself. However, playing at such sites is not a crime and financial transfers to and from these sites are not restricted. That’s also why Belgium top betting sites are not located in the country: The majority of players prefer to play at international operators. In this regard, we can say that the current regulations are similar to Netherlands gambling sites and law. If you want to play at the best live betting sites and bookmakers (and best sports betting exchanges), we recommend choosing international operators too. You can see a list of best betting sites Belgium above.
What are the Best Sports Betting Sites and Bookmakers for Belgium?
What are the Most Popular Sports in Belgium?
Belgium is a nation that loves a wide array of sports, so the list of the most popular sports in Belgium is quite long. Cycling, field hockey, and aquatic sports are quite popular as are tennis, golf, and basketball. Many residents closely follow ice hockey and there is even some interest in major North American sports like baseball and American football – Belgium football betting is pretty popular and lots of bookies offer Belgium football best bets. It is also the most popular sport in arbitrage friendly bookmakers.
Note that Belgium football betting covers both the soccer and American football, and perhaps the most widely followed sport is soccer. Matches in Belgium are attended by thousands of attendees who faithfully cheer on their favorite team.
Of course, many of those are also undoubtedly wagering on those games too – betting Belgium is a popular activity, as we mentioned above. Belgian sportsbooks offer an extensive range of soccer betting option for punters.
Are there any Sports Betting Bonuses and Free Bets for Belgian Players?
Most Popular Bets in Belgium Betting Sites
We can say that Belgian players are quite traditional compared to other European countries. Lotteries and scratch cards are still the most popular types of gambling in the country. It is also possible to see this traditional approach in betting types. Simple money line bets on who will win are the most popular option on Belgian betting sites. Football bets come first in this regard just as in Spain betting sites and football is also preferred for accumulator bets. The younger generation of players, on the other hand, are interested in more daring and exotic bet types. Their favorite option is handicap betting. They are particularly interested in the Asian variant. In this context, the most popular types of bets on the most Belgium betting sites are:
- Moneyline bets
- Accumulator (football accumulator) bets
- Asian handicap
- Point spread
Picking the Best Betting Sites Belgium
Tip
- License. Belgian betting sites must be licensed from a reputable agency (e.g., United Kingdom Gambling Commission or Malta Gaming Authority), even if they do not hold a Gaming Commission license.
- Compatibility. Even if the site does not have a separate mobile application, it should work smoothly on all devices and offer the same features.
- Coverage. Choose Belgium betting sites that support both local and international sports leagues. Likewise, the variety of sports should be satisfactory and not only popular sports, but also exotic options (e.g., darts) should be supported.
- Competitive odds. Make sure the odds on the site are generally not lower than the industry average – the higher the better.
- Bonuses. Make sure that you can benefit from advantageous and fair bonuses both when you register and after you become a member.
A Simple Guide for Playing on Belgian Betting Sites
Most Popular Payment Methods for Belgium Betting Sites
Safety and Security of Belgian Betting Sites
Tip
- Check and verify the license. This info is located at the bottom of every page. Make sure the licensing agency is reputable and verify the license by clicking the logo of that agency.
- Check the SSL security. You must see a “lock” icon at the left corner of your address bar. This means that your connection is encrypted.
- Check the fairness. Prefer Belgian betting sites that work with independent audition agencies such as eCOGRA and iTechLabs.
Pros and Cons of Betting Sites Belgium
PROS
- All forms of gambling are legal
- You can bet & play with Euro
- Almost all operators accept members from Belgium
CONS
- There are not too many local operators
- Gambling winnings are taxable
FAQ About Belgium Betting Sites
Like all other European Union countries, the official currency of Belgium is Euro, and Belgian betting sites accept this currency.
Sofort, SEPA, Bancontact, and credit cards (VISA/MasterCard) are the most popular payment methods used on Belgium betting sites.
Yes, but player taxes are cut directly from the prize itself (it is around 2.5%) so you don’t have to pay anything. Operators (online casinos and betting sites Belgium) also pay taxes.
Of course. Nowadays, almost all websites use responsive designs, which means they can run on any device and adapt themselves to any screen size. You don’t even have to use an application.
English is the most common language, as can be expected. Dutch, French, and German are available as well: You can view the site and use customer support in these languages.
Some of them. Esports is still not as common as regular sports, but the majority of our recommended Belgian betting sites support it.
Yes. Live betting is much more common nowadays and it is offered by almost every sportsbook out there. If you want to try at the best betting sites Belgium, check our recommendations.
Start with Our Best Betting Sites Belgium List
That list of Belgium betting sites will help you to make a safe and fast start. We already checked all Belgian betting sites and picked the best ones for you. The rest is up to you. You can create your account right now and start your gambling journey at the best betting sites in Belgium or even France bookmakers and we wish you good luck. Don’t forget to visit us often to see our new recommended betting sites Belgium!
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