More gamblers in Belgium join voluntary blacklist

Last year, the number of people who gamble and voluntarily allow themselves to be blacklisted increased again, to 56,458.

This represents an increase of 6,760 gamblers (up 13.6%) compared to 2023, according to figures from Belgium’s justice ministry, in response to a question in the Flemish parliament.

The measure where players can register with the EPIS, or "Excluded Persons Information System" has been in place since 2004. Betting and gambling sites need to consult the EPIS before authorising access to their services.

Since 2015, the number of registrations on this blacklist has increased by 120%. From the end of 2021, the procedure has been further simplified, as gamblers can sign up to the list using the ItsMe identification app.

Access to gambling can also be refused for professional reasons, for example bailiffs, solicitors and police officers cannot gamble. In 2024, some 58,659 people were banned for this reason.

In the same year, 5,476 individuals were told that they could no longer gamble following a request from the courts and some 62,068 people were barred from using betting and gambling sites due to a debt settlement plan.

The EPIS electronic database list was created as a government tool that lists all excluded players. If you are on this list, you are excluded by the Gambling Commission from gambling in physical and/or online casinos, slot machines and betting shops.

Any individual wanting to gamble online or at a shop must register, providing personal details and their identity card. Anyone seen to be on the EPIS list will not be able to play. These checks are not one-offs, but are carried out every time a game is logged into.

The only place where no EPIS system is currently active is for slot machines in cafes. Due to the technical limitations of devices that cannot be connected to the internet, it is not possible to check if players are on this Gambling Commission blacklist of players. There is also no EPIS system in place for buying lottery tickets in a newsagent.