Brussels, 11 April 2025
The European Commission has concluded that Ladbrokes did not receive State aid from Belgium in the form of virtual betting operating rights.
In September 2020, following a complaint from operators in the games of chance sector, the Commission opened an in-depth investigation to examine whether Ladbrokes had been granted exclusive rights to operate virtual betting by the Belgian Gaming Commission, in breach of EU State aid rules.
The Commission assessed the alleged measure under EU State aid rules, in particular Article 107(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (‘TFEU’). 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 Commission found that the email replies did not produce effects of granting exclusive rights on virtual betting to Ladbrokes, which could be similar to the effects of State aid within the meaning of Article 107(1) TFEU. Moreover, the Commission found that the Belgian State did not waive or forego any resources which should have been paid by Ladbrokes for operating virtual betting. On this basis, the Commission concluded that the alleged measure does not constitute State aid under EU rules.
The non-confidential version of the decision will be made available under the case number SA.53630 in the State aid register on the Commission’s competition website once any confidentiality issues have been resolved.