Belgium unlocks more illegal gambling blocking freedoms

Belgium’s judicial system overseer, the Federal Public Service of Justice (previously Ministry of Justice), has updated the country’s framework to better accommodate measures against illegal gambling.

The updated texts were placed under Article XVII.34/1 of the Economic Code, giving any interested party the ability to exercise extraordinary powers against potential market infringements by filing a complaint with the Brussels Commercial Court.

Any party that claims to have found alleged legal infringement through the exploitation of illegal online games of chance – including private entities, “a management company or collective management organisation, or a professional or interprofessional association with legal personality” – can either act unilaterally or as part of a collective petition to raise the issue to court.

The President of the Brussels Commercial Court can then grant an interim order against the alleged infringer and any related intermediary to stop the alleged infring..