B+ online speelautomatenhallen: 60% drop in active accounts in 2025

Marcus Webb, Industry Deals Correspondent

The B+-licensed online speelautomatenhallen in Belgium saw the number of active accounts fall by 60.49% in 2025, dropping from 562,837 in 2024 to 222,394 — a loss of 340,443 active accounts in a single year. Despite that collapse in active accounts, the segment's gross gaming revenue (GGR) fell by only 13.66%, from €191.97 million in 2024 to €165.75 million in 2025, and the average GGR per active account rose from €341 to €745, an increase of 118.52%.

What the 2025 figures show for B+ online speelautomatenhallen

The 2025 annual report for the Belgian games market records a stark divergence between account activity and financial flows in the B+-segment. An "active players account" in the report is any account used at least once during the year; accounts unused in 2025 were therefore simply not counted as active rather than formally closed. The headline numbers are:

• Active accounts: 222,394 in 2025, down from 562,837 in 2024 and 532,014 in 2023.

• GGR: €165.75 million in 2025, down from €191.97 million in 2024 and €252.01 million in 2023.

• Total stakes (turnover): €5.18 billion in 2025, a small decline from €5.38 billion in 2024 (–3.64%).

The report emphasises that stakes include both original bets and re-staked winnings, so the turnover figure does not equal net deposits by players. A single euro can be recorded multiple times during the same session.

Why the average GGR per account doubled

The average GGR per active B+-account rose to €745 in 2025 from €341 in 2024, a 118.52% increase. Two factors in the numbers can explain this at an aggregate level without identifying individual behaviour:

• Far fewer accounts were counted as active while total stakes changed little, so remaining accounts generated disproportionately more GGR.

• A small group of higher-intensity players can lift the mean even if many other accounts see only occasional use.

The report does not provide player-level distributions, so it cannot say whether the shift reflects heavier play by a core cohort or reporting and account-allocation changes by operators. The combination of fewer accounts and higher value per account raises questions about targeted player-protection measures, including statutory deposit caps or closer review of limit increases.

Regulatory context and licence differences: what is a B+ platform?

Belgian online speelautomatenhallen that operate under an additional B+-licence must be linked to a physical speelautomatenhal that holds a B-licence. The B+-category is legally distinct from online casinos operating under an A+-licence, which are typically affiliated with a physical casino and offer a broader mix of table games and live casino products.

The type of licence determines which games an operator may offer. The Belgian Gaming Commission's official licence register identifies whether an online operator runs under an A+ or B+ licence. Gambling Club maintains a public overview that explains the A+ versus B+ distinction and lists licensed online casinos.

A+ casinos and the wider Belgian online market

The B+-segment's decline did not translate into a market-wide fall. The total regulated Belgian online GGR grew by 5.41% in 2025 to €964.46 million. That expansion was driven largely by the A+-casino segment, whose online GGR increased by 12.99%, from €490.42 million to €554.11 million. Active A+-accounts rose from 342,844 in 2024 to 458,403 in 2025, a 33.71% increase.

These opposite movements mean the two regulated online casino segments moved in different directions: B+ reported a sharp fall in active accounts and lower GGR, while A+ added over 115,000 active accounts and materially higher revenue. The report warns that the data do not prove a one-to-one migration of individual players from B+ sites to A+ platforms; operators may hold multiple licences and shift activity or accounts between platforms, and reporting conventions can also change year to year.

Timeline, earlier declines and possible drivers

The B+-decline began before 2025. GGR for the segment fell from €252.01 million in 2023 to €191.97 million in 2024, and again to €165.75 million in 2025 — a loss of over €86 million in two years and roughly 34% below the 2023 level. Active-account counts were comparatively stable in 2023–24 before the steep 2025 drop.

Policy changes may have constrained customer acquisition. From July 2023 Belgium implemented a broad ban on gambling advertising and further restricted bonuses and financial incentives. The minimum age for many private games rose in September 2024; B+-platforms already operate with a minimum player age of 21, so that specific change does not fully explain the 2025 contraction but sits within a tightening access environment.

The physical B- and B+-network and licence activity in 2025

Physical speelautomatenhallen showed milder declines. Combined GGR for the physical B-venue network fell by 4.17%, from €192.79 million in 2024 to €184.74 million in 2025. Visits remained steady at 4.61 million in 2025, down only 0.27% year-on-year, while unique visitors declined by 3.56% to 470,766.

At the end of 2025 the register showed 175 active B-licences for physical halls and 48 additional B+-licences for online activity. During the year five new B+-licences were granted, one licence was renewed, six operators voluntarily surrendered their B+-licence and twelve internet-address changes were approved. Those numbers indicate the physical network largely remained in place while the online B+-segment reported fewer active accounts and lower revenue.

Illegal market and limits to the dataset

The official figures cover only operators within the Belgian licensing framework and exclude foreign or unlicensed websites. The report therefore cannot determine whether the lost B+-activity disappeared from the market entirely, shifted to A+-platforms, or migrated to offshore sites that do not report into Belgian statistics and are not linked to national protection measures such as EPIS. Offshore sites are not automatically tied into Belgian controls on limits, play monitoring and payments.

Gambling Club underscores the consumer-protection concern: a fall in active regulated accounts combined with higher average revenue per remaining account elevates the importance of checks on increased deposits and play intensity. Players seeking help can contact De Druglijn for anonymous information and advice.

What operators and regulators should watch next

Regulators will monitor whether the B+-contraction continues, whether activity has moved to A+ platforms or offshore providers, and whether the increase in average GGR per active account reflects concentration among higher-risk players. Platform operators should ensure limit controls, deposit checks and monitoring are applied consistently across accounts and licence types.

For background on how limits and controls are applied in the Belgian market, readers can consult Gambling Club's explanation of deposit limits and the difference between legal and illegal sites.