BELGIUM Law and Practice Contributed by: Sven Demeulemeester, Willem-Alexander Devlies and Daan Buylaert, ATFiELD
requiring operators to hold a Belgian licence to offer services legally. Betting-Related Offences Established by Sports Governing Bodies Several sports governing bodies in Belgium enforce strict betting-related rules for ath - letes, coaches, referees and other officials. For example, the Royal Belgian Football Associa - tion (RBFA) prohibits players and officials from betting on football matches, especially those in competitions they are involved in. Violations can lead to fines, suspensions or bans. Other federa - tions, such as the Belgian Cycling Federation, have similar prohibitions in place to safeguard sports integrity. Information Sharing to Protect Sports Integrity To combat match-fixing and other betting-relat - ed threats, sports governing bodies in Belgium collaborate with betting operators, law enforce - ment agencies and international organisations. The Belgian National Platform against Match- Fixing facilitates co-operation between stake - holders to detect suspicious betting patterns and take preventive action. Betting operators are also required to report irregular betting activities to the Belgian Gaming Commission and relevant sports federations. Recent Noteworthy Betting Cases in Belgian Sport A significant case occurred in 2019 when sev - eral Belgian football players were investigated for violating betting rules, leading to discipli - nary sanctions. Additionally, “Operation Clean Hands” uncovered widespread corruption in Belgian football, with some cases linked to illicit betting activities. In another instance, in 2022, a lower-division footballer was fined and sus - pended for betting on matches involving his
own team, highlighting the ongoing challenges in maintaining sports integrity. 1.4 Disciplinary Proceedings Steps Taken by Sports Governing Bodies in Disciplinary Proceedings Sports governing bodies in Belgium follow a structured process when handling disciplinary proceedings against athletes for doping, integ - rity and betting offences. These steps typically include the following. Investigation and detection The relevant governing body (eg, the Royal Bel - gian Football Association, the Belgian Cycling Federation or NADO Flanders) conducts an initial investigation upon receiving reports of potential violations. Evidence is gathered from multiple sources, including testing agencies, betting operators and whistle-blower reports. Provisional suspension If there is sufficient preliminary evidence, then the athlete may be provisionally suspended from competition pending the final decision. Formal notification and hearing The athlete is formally notified of the charges and provided with the opportunity to respond. A disciplinary panel or tribunal is convened to review the evidence and hear arguments from both sides. Adjudication and sanctions Based on the findings, the panel may impose sanctions such as suspensions, fines, disquali - fication of results or bans. For doping viola - tions, the sanctions are typically aligned with the WADA Code.
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