Heavy handed treatment of online gambling in Belgium

Belgian gambling regulators are taking some heavy-handed moves to shut down unlicensed internet operators following the recent launch of the European nation’s regulatory regime.

In addition to blacklists of operators sent to ISPs from the Belgian Gaming Commission with a blocking demand, and threats of action against financial channels, it has now emerged that the lists have also been sent by the Office of Public Prosecutions to the national police with a request for action where possible.

The Commission appears to be adopting a carrot-and-stick approach, with Commission official Peter Naessens suggesting that illegal operators who repent and close their websites to Belgian players could be taken off the black list by the Commission.

“We will examine if they really exclude Belgian players at their .com site,” Naessens said. “If they really do, then we will propose these operators be removed from the blacklist at the next meeting of the BGC.”

One blacklisted site, Chilipoker, has already complained against its inclusion on the blacklist .