Objections raised by the European Commission may prevent the Belgian parliament from adopting a draft online gambling bill until the autumn at the earliest, according to legal observers.

Belgium’s gambling minister insists that regulatory developments in the UK serve to further justify a controversial Belgian law introducing a restrictive licensing regime for online gambling, backed by ISP-blocking measures.

A government proposal to issue online licences solely to existing operators in Belgium’s terrestrial casino and betting sectors could be found non-compliant with EU law, legal observers warn.

Belgium’s parliament has ignored objections raised by the European Commission over its draft online gambling bill and passed the law on to the Senate unchanged.

New draft legislation prepared by the Belgian Senate would allow the holders of terrestrial licences to apply for ‘licence+’ permissions to offer their services via the internet. The measures would also greatly enhance the power of the country’s Gaming Commission, and impose new limits on the number of licensed betting shops in the country.

Belgium is to require all new gaming machines destined for bars and restaurants to be fitted with mandatory player identification technology from January 2010.

As a result of judicial and legislative activism, gambling and gaming law is currently being overhauled by a draft bill which was expected to come into force in 2007.

Belgium’s poker devotees are currently limited to playing only in the country’s casinos but rules regarding tournaments have relaxed and liberalisation of online play may yet be on the cards.

Emboldened by the recent ‘Bwin Liga’ decision at the European Court of Justice, Belgium has defied the European Commission by passing an online gambling law that restricts available licences to incumbent operators in the country’s land-based betting and gaming sectors.

With the regulatory matrix affecting the design, manufacture, testing and repair of gambling machines and software in Great Britain now complete, the following summary of the legislation and regulations may form a useful reference source for industry compliance.