Ladbrokes Cleared by EC Following Belgian Competition Probe
The inquiry was initiated back in 2020 following a complaint lodged by gaming companies Rocoluc NV and European Amusement Company. The two firms accused Ladbrokes of receiving “state aid” in Belgium.
Entain-owned Ladbrokes can breathe a sigh of relief after the European Commission (EC) concluded its investigation into alleged anti-competition practices in Belgium, ruling that no breaches had occurred.
The inquiry was initiated back in 2020 following a complaint lodged by gaming companies Rocoluc NV and European Amusement Company. The two firms accused Ladbrokes of receiving “state aid” in Belgium.
They alleged that in 2014 and 2015, Belgium’s federal government and its gambling regulator, the Kansspelcommissie, had granted Ladbrokes an unfair edge by allowing it to offer online and retail virtual betting—despite the absence of a clear regulatory framework at the time.
Further accusations included claims that the regulator denied other operators similar permissions between 2015 and 2016, justifying the move by citing “ongoing efforts to regulate the space.”
The European Commission then launched a five-year investigation to determine whether these actions breached EU State aid rules, focusing on Article 107(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).
Ultimately, the EC found no evidence that Ladbrokes had received any form of exclusive benefit.
“The Commission found that informal email replies sent by the Belgian Gaming Commission to Ladbrokes did not qualify as an act granting aid within the meaning of Article 107(1) TFEU,” the statement read.
“Moreover, the Commission found that the Belgian State did not waive or forgo any resources which should have been paid by Ladbrokes for operating virtual betting.”
The verdict clears the way for Ladbrokes to continue operating in Belgium without the shadow of regulatory challenge over its historic practices.
