The Belgium Gambling Commission (BGC) is expanding its Excluded Persons Information System (EPIS) to include betting shops. This means that the country’s self-exclusion program will now cover all gambling verticals.
EPIS to Cover Betting Shops
EPIS is an electronic system that keeps track of all excluded players. Customers whose names are present on the system are blocked from entering any physical gambling establishments or online gambling platforms. Players can voluntarily ask for their names to be listed on EPIS. The exclusion request may also come from a third party. Belgium treats the system as an important tool to fight gambling addiction.
The scheme was launched in 2004 and originally covered land-based casinos, online gambling websites, and slot machine arcades.
The latest move by the BGC to expand EPIS to retail betting comes following criticism from the country’s Supreme Court, the Belgian Council of State, which, in June 2022, determined that the gambling regulator did not have the authority to impose a minimum self-exclusion period of six months, especially as the self-exclusion scheme did not cover all forms of gambling.
New Gambling Restrictions on the Way
Belgium is set to implement new stringent restrictions on gambling starting October 20, 2022, including lowering the weekly deposit limits from €500 to just €200. Operators will also be barred from promoting bonuses as player incentives.