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Responsible Gambling

By · Updated November 2026

Gambling can be a pleasant form of relaxation, but it can also tip over into problem behaviour. CasinoJules addresses adults only and asks you to keep three things in mind during every session: play has to stay fun, your budget is a limit you do not cross, and winnings are never guaranteed. If you recognise one or more of the signs on this page, get help. Free, confidential and effective resources exist in Belgium.

1. What is responsible gambling?

Responsible gambling is a set of practices that let you keep the pleasure of the game without sliding into addiction. Four basic principles:

  • A budget set in advance. You decide beforehand how much you can lose without it affecting your daily life. You do not go over that amount, whatever happens during the session.
  • A limited session length. You fix a session duration (60 minutes, for example) and you stop when the timer runs out, even if you are winning at that moment.
  • Never playing under the influence. No session after alcohol or other substances, and no session in a difficult emotional state.
  • Not chasing losses. If you have lost, you stop. Playing on to "get back on top" is the clearest sign that your behaviour is slipping.

2. The warning signs

The following behaviours should set off an alarm. If you recognise several of them in yourself or in someone close to you, the problem is real.

  • You stake larger amounts than you intended.
  • You play more often and for longer than you planned.
  • You hide your gambling from the people around you.
  • You borrow money to keep playing.
  • You lie about the size of your losses.
  • You feel anxiety, guilt or shame because of your gambling.
  • Your work or your family life suffers.
  • You "chase" losses by raising your stake after a bad session.
  • You put winnings straight back in without using them.
  • You lose interest in other hobbies.

3. Tools that serious casinos offer

Every serious operator offers moderation tools. You can, and should, set them up as soon as you open an account:

  • Deposit limit. You set a daily, weekly or monthly ceiling. The casino refuses any deposit above it.
  • Loss limit. You set a maximum loss amount over a given period.
  • Time limit. You set a maximum session length.
  • Time-out. You block your account for a period you choose (24 hours, 7 days, 30 days).
  • Self-exclusion. You permanently block access to your account, with no reactivation for a long period (from 6 months to life).

4. Belgium: the EPIS system

In Belgium the Belgian Gaming Commission (KSC) runs the national database EPIS (Excluded Persons Information System). Any adult can ask to be entered in EPIS. Registration automatically blocks access to every licensed online gambling site and every physical gaming hall, for a minimum of one year (renewable). You apply online through the Gaming Commission's website at gamingcommission.be, through the epis.be portal, or on a paper form.

Belgian resources:

  • Gokhulp (gokhulp.be): online information, a self-test and referrals for players and the people close to them.
  • BAO BOB (bao-bob.be): the Belgian Association for Online Gambling, with information on treatment and self-exclusion.
  • De DrugLijn (078 15 10 20): a free, anonymous helpline that also advises on gambling problems, reachable every working day.
  • Tele-Onthaal (106): a free, 24/7 line for anyone who wants to talk to someone.
  • CGG (Centres for Mental Health Care): specialist guidance across Flanders and Brussels.
  • Belgian Gaming Commission (gamingcommission.be): to request EPIS registration and to report an operator.

5. Licence classes in Belgium

The Belgian Gaming Commission (KSC) distinguishes several licences that determine what an operator may offer in Belgium. As a player it helps to know the main online licences:

  • A+ licence: online casino games, linked to a physical casino that holds an A licence.
  • B+ licence: online slot machines, linked to an arcade that holds a B licence.
  • F1+ licence: online sports betting, linked to an F1 licence.

Operators without one of these Belgian licences are not permitted to target the Belgian market specifically, even if their site may still be technically reachable.

6. For the people close to a player

If you are the partner, a parent, a child or a friend of someone whose gambling worries you, do not isolate yourself. Those close to the player feel the consequences of gambling addiction just as much. The helplines listed above (De DrugLijn, Tele-Onthaal, Gokhulp) are open to questions from that circle too. There are also discussion groups specifically for relatives, for instance within the CGG network.

A few useful reflexes:

  • Do not pay the person's debts, because that keeps the mechanism going.
  • Do not hide the signs from those around you; they are often part of the solution.
  • Encourage contact with a professional instead of playing therapist yourself.
  • Protect your own finances and wellbeing; you cannot save someone by wrecking yourself.

7. Minors

Online gambling is banned for minors in Belgium (under 21 for casino games and slot machines, under 18 for betting and the lottery). Parents can install parental controls that block access to gambling websites. We recommend tools such as Qustodio, Google Family Link or the built-in parental controls on iOS and Android.

8. What CasinoJules does itself

CasinoJules commits to:

  • Showing a "Gambling carries risks" warning on every market page.
  • Never presenting gambling as an investment or a solution to money worries.
  • Making the moderation tools of the casinos we test clearly visible.
  • Rating operators positively when they offer a clear interface for limits.
  • Ranking operators lower when they deliberately make self-exclusion harder to reach.
  • Not aiming our communication at recognisably vulnerable groups.

If you see us depart from this policy, let us know at [email protected]. Every report is investigated, and each quarter we publish an internal report on the changes we make.