Belgium is taking further steps in a bid to suppress the illicit gambling market as it utilises enhanced IP blockers.
At the centre of the elevated enforcement will be the intervention of DNS Belgium, which seeks to bring awareness of illegal content on the internet being accessed by Belgian citizens.
The guidance outlines: “when the inspectors/controllers of the CJH (FR) / KSC (NL) observe/establish that illegal content is available via a website linked to a .be domain name, they may address a notification to DNS Belgium.
“As soon as DNS Belgium receives this notification, it will inform the domain name holder and advise them that the established use of the domain name also constitutes an infringement of the general terms and conditions of DNS Belgium.”
It marks the significant expansion of efforts and strategy to thwart the black market, in a tactic that has been cited as potentially pivotal in combating illegal websites.
The black market has been enabled to thrive in Belgium through the tight nature of the regulatory framework.
One of the key elements that has limited the ability of the regulated market to compete is the tightened advertising restrictions.
Largely, advertisements for the regulated market are prohibited across verticals in Belgium, including TV commercials, radio ads, online ads on websites, social media and digital displays.
Whilst it was a boost to limiting exposure of citizens to the regulated market, it did ensure that the black market was operating at a significant advantage when it came to attracting players.
The country is also in the midst of a tightening of sports sponsorship, with it set to be completely outlawed for gambling companies by 1 January 2028.
Earlier in the year, Norway engaged with DNS blocking in a bid to elevate the fight against the black market and ensure that exclusive rights deals were maintained.
It meant that Norway became one of the earliest European markets to utilise this method of blocking for illegal gambling sites – it led to a flurry of sites being blocked as a result.
