The decision in brief
Decision 2026/09 does three things. First, it lowers the automatic EPIS enrollment threshold from EUR 2,000 to EUR 1,500 in monthly net losses, requiring any A, B or F1+ licensee to initiate an EPIS review the moment a player crosses that line. Second, it extends the EPIS lookup requirement to deposits, not just withdrawals, closing a gap operators had exploited. Third, it shortens the EPIS review window from 14 to 7 days.
The decision applies to every KSC-licensed operator (A for live casinos, B for online casinos, F1 and F1+ for sports betting) and takes effect 1 February 2027. Operators have 90 days to implement the technical change, which the KSC says is realistic given EPIS is a mature API.
The offshore surge that triggered it
The KSC's quarterly market report for Q3 2026, published alongside the decision, puts offshore deposits from Belgian IPs at an estimated 28 percent of total Belgian online gambling spend. That is up from 19 percent in Q3 2025. The KSC attributes the climb to three factors: tighter licensed-side bonus rules introduced in early 2026, the Begian Gambling Act's advertising ban limiting licensee customer acquisition, and the easier offshore route via crypto.
The decision is explicitly framed as a response to the offshore pull. The logic: if players are finding the licensed side too restrictive and drifting offshore, the licensed side has to be clearly safer rather than more restrictive. Tighter EPIS enrollment is the KSC's bet on 'safer, not stricter'.
What F1+ betting licensees have to do
F1+ sports-betting licensees, who share the EPIS registry with casino licensees under the Belgian scheme, carry a slightly different obligation under Decision 2026/09. The EUR 1,500 loss threshold applies to combined casino + betting activity across any shared player account, which means the F1+ operator has to query EPIS even on bets that in isolation would not trigger review.
Belgian Lottery (Loterie Nationale) products sit outside the EPIS regime and are not affected.
The player-side effect
For Belgian players staying inside the KSC licensed system, the practical effect is that EPIS entries will happen sooner. The registry remains cross-operator, which means an EPIS entry on one licensee's platform restricts play across every A, B, F1 and F1+ licensee for the duration of the entry.
For players who want to play outside the EPIS regime, the offshore route remains open. See our Casino zonder EPIS guide (NL) or Casino sans EPIS guide (FR) for how that market is structured, which licences are worth trusting, and what the consumer-protection trade-offs are.
Industry reaction
The Belgian Gaming Association (BGA) issued a measured response, calling the decision 'proportionate' while flagging implementation complexity on the 7-day review window. The BGA's own position paper for the 2027 licensing framework review had argued for a EUR 2,500 threshold with extended lookup. The KSC moved in the opposite direction.
Consumer-protection group AWEL welcomed the decision, pointing to the 2025 Belgian gambling-harm survey that recorded a 12 percent year-on-year rise in self-reported problem gambling behaviours despite EPIS already being in place.
What happens next
The 1 February 2027 implementation date is firm. KSC-licensed operators that miss the deadline face standard enforcement action under the Gambling Act, with first-tier sanctions starting at warnings and escalating to fines of up to EUR 300,000 per breach for repeat non-compliance.
Faders will test every KSC-licensed operator against the new rules at the 1 February go-live and log the first-quarter channelization numbers when the KSC publishes them in April.
Frequently asked questions
What is EPIS?
The Excluded Persons Information System, a cross-operator registry maintained by Belgium's Kansspelcommissie that excludes listed players from every A, B, F1 and F1+ licensed operator.
Does this change affect the Belgian Lottery?
No. Loterie Nationale products sit outside the EPIS regime and are not touched by Decision 2026/09.
When does the change take effect?
1 February 2027, with a 90-day implementation window starting from the decision date of 3 November 2026.
Can I still play if I am EPIS-listed?
Not at any Belgian A, B, F1 or F1+ licensee. The registry is cross-operator so a single entry restricts play across every licensed brand for the duration of the entry.
Fleur Smit
Fleur leads the Faders Belgium (NL) desk and the newsroom's Dutch-language coverage. Eleven years tracking the KSC framework, from the 2018 act through F1+ licensing, inform every operator shortlist on the site: real euro deposits, timed withdrawals and a plain read of bonus terms.
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