Betclic re-enters Belgium

Betclic Everest Group was awarded a B+ license which allows it to return to the Belgian gambling market.

Belgium.- Betclic Everest Group has return to Belgium’s online gambling market after spending several years in the country’s blacklist, via a B+ license awarded by Belgium’s Gambling Commission (BGC).

The French gambling operator was granted the licenses due to its joint venture with Belgian land-based arcade operator Pres Carats Sports SA. Under current online betting legislation digital companies operating in Belgium have to partner with a domestic brick-and-mortar business.

Betclic Everest will be able to offer licensed online sports betting and slot services in the European country under its betclic.be domain.

Back in 2012, the commission added Betclic to its blacklist. In 2014, the BGC not only seized €600,000 (US$ 672,450) of Betclic Everest fund in transit to and from Belgian players, but also ordered 79 of the site’s users to pay a fine of €200 (US$224) for gambling on unlicensed BetClic.com.

However, the commission removed four Betclic Everest domains from the blacklist in September 2015 after Betclic reportedly agreed to pay €80,000 (US$ 89,660) to cover the total fines against about 160 of its users.