Investigation Into Belgian Police Gambling Online

By Brian Cullingworth, Last updated Oct 13, 2017

Using data from national registration number database to open betting accounts

Belgian newspaper MediaHuis has reported the launch of an investigation by the Belgian Gambling Commission into around thirty Police officers accused of indulging in illegal online gambling while on duty.

The suspects are alleged to have opened online betting accounts, using details from the national registration number database, through the Antwerp police computer network but were nabbed when online casino payments were flagged on one of the suspended officers bank statements.

Private citizens details were used to circumvent existing law in which Belgian police, bailiffs and notaries are prohibited from partaking in any form of gambling, as such their personal national registration numbers are listed in a specific black list to prevent them from doing so.

The Belgian Gambling Commission discovered the creation of around ten betting accounts following initial investigations but estimates the problem may be far wider spread than initially thought and may not be limited to just this specific police station.

“It is not just one officer that is involved and it hasn’t been purely recreational,” the BGC’s Peter Naessens said in a press briefing. “Sometimes large sums were gambled that are in excess of an average monthly wage.”

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