Industry unites under renewed Duty of Care Charter

Belgium’s top online gambling operators have renewed and expanded their Duty of Care Charter, marking a coordinated effort to standardize player protection across the regulated market.

The initiative is led by the Belgian Association of Online Gambling (BAGO), with five major license holders signing on:

  • Ardent Group
  • BetFirst
  • Golden Palace
  • Napoleon Sports & Casino
  • Star Casino

Together, the operators aim to embed harm detection and early intervention into day-to-day operations rather than treat compliance as a box-ticking exercise.

Real-time monitoring and AI-driven safeguards

At the heart of the updated charter is a shift toward proactive monitoring powered by AI tools.

Instead of waiting for players to request help, platforms will track behavioral indicators such as:

  • Sudden spikes in wager frequency or bet size
  • Extended session duration outside normal patterns
  • Rapid increases in deposits or attempts to bypass self-set limits

Under the new framework, these signals must trigger a “graduated intervention model.” Responses escalate with risk levels, ranging from automated reminders to direct outreach by trained protection teams.

EPIS integration and cross-platform enforcement

A core element of the agreement is full integration with Belgium’s national exclusion database, EPIS (Exclusion of Persons Information System).

EPIS enables players to self-exclude from all licensed gambling activity in a single step. Signatories have reaffirmed that exclusion requests must be enforced instantly across their entire digital ecosystem.

However, BAGO warned that these safeguards apply only within the regulated market. As authorities tighten rules — including the mandatory €200 weekly deposit cap — offshore operators are stepping up efforts to attract Belgian players.

Internal governance takes center stage

Beyond technology, the charter introduces stricter internal compliance requirements.

Operators must now:

  • Implement formal staff training protocols
  • Ensure all departments understand Duty of Care obligations
  • Establish clear intervention procedures

The objective is to eliminate “standard-hopping,” where at-risk players migrate between platforms seeking weaker controls. By aligning safety measures across major operators, the industry hopes to close those gaps.

Regulatory pressure intensifies

The renewed charter comes as the Belgian Gambling Commission increases enforcement, issuing record penalties for non-compliance and tightening oversight of licensed providers.

Industry leaders argue that a unified safety framework strengthens the regulated market’s credibility at a time when illegal competition remains a persistent challenge.

Setting a global benchmark?

With AI monitoring, real-time exclusion enforcement, and structured intervention policies, Belgium’s regulated sector is positioning itself among the most tightly supervised gambling markets globally.

For BAGO and its members, the message is clear: long-term sustainability depends on prevention, not reaction.

Summary

Belgium’s leading online gambling operators have renewed their Duty of Care Charter under BAGO, introducing AI-driven monitoring, stricter intervention protocols, and full EPIS integration. As regulatory scrutiny increases and offshore competition grows, the industry is moving to standardize player protection and reinforce trust in the regulated market.