Royal Decree: booksellers may engage in betting under strict conditions

The King signed a Royal Decree on August 30, 2026, defining the scope of complementary activity and the specific conditions that booksellers (newsagents) must satisfy for the acceptance of bets. The text, referenced [C-2026/006625], was published in the Belgian Official Gazette (Moniteur belge) No. 207 of September 14, 2026, page 49874.

This decree fills the legal gap created by the annulment, via judgment No. 265.529 of the Council of State on January 22, 2026, of the Royal Decree of February 17, 2022, which regulated the same activity. Since this annulment, booksellers could no longer apply for or renew their class F2 license, risking the loss of a significant portion of their income or facing sanctions.

A Renewed Legal Framework

The text is based on Article 43/4, § 5, 1°, paragraph 2, of the Law of May 7, 1999, on games of chance, betting, gaming establishments, and player protection, as amended by the laws of November 28, 2021, and April 30, 2026. Since June 1, 2026, jurisdiction over games of chance has been transferred from the FPS Justice to the FPS Economy, SMEs, Middle Classes and Energy, and therefore to the Minister of Economy, who treated this project as an absolute priority.

The decree replaces Article 4 of the Royal Decree of December 22, 2010, which determines the cumulative conditions for the acceptance of bets to be considered a complementary activity. These conditions are as follows:

• bets are only taken between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m.;
• the total stakes for bets do not exceed 250,000 euros per year (excluding re-played winnings);
• the share of annual turnover derived from the acceptance of bets does not exceed 20% of the total annual turnover.

Strengthened Obligations for Booksellers

Article 4 specifies the documents to be attached to the class F2 license application, in order to certify that the applicant is indeed a bookstore conducting betting as a complementary activity:

• a copy of the agreement concluded with the holder of a class F1 license, the duration of which cannot exceed that of the F2 license, with a maximum of three years;
• the mayor’s opinion in accordance with Annex IV of the decree.

For renewal, the bookseller must provide the accounting documents allowing it to be established that the turnover from betting does not exceed 20% of the total. In the case of a new license, the holder must report within three months following the first twelve-month period, and then at each triennial renewal.

Publicity and Entry into Force

Article 6 complements the Royal Decree of February 27, 2023, on advertising for games of chance: for F2 class license holders, advertising placed both street-side and within the commercial space may focus on the placing of bets for a maximum of one-fifth and may occupy no more than three square meters in total.

The decree enters into force on the day of its publication in the Belgian Official Gazette and ceases to be in force on December 31, 2028. The Minister of Economy is responsible for its execution.

For readers, this regulation aims to protect players, particularly minors, by fighting the phenomenon of “fake newsagents” who were developing into small betting agencies, while securing the income of legitimate newsagents.

Official source: Royal Decree of August 30, 2026, establishing the contours of complementary activity and the specific conditions that newsagents must satisfy for the placing of bets, Belgian Official Gazette No. 207 of September 14, 2026, p. 49874 (reference [C-2026/006625]).