Convention on gambling activities

As the owner or manager of a business licensed to sell alcohol, you may wish to offer an additional service to your customers by providing gambling activities such as scratch cards. For these types of activity (class III), which are exclusively offered in places where beverages are sold and consumed, you first need the authorisation of the Mayor of the commune in which your business is established. More generally, you will need to refer to the Opens in new windowGambling Act of 7 May 1999.

The procedure

To obtain the authorisation to offer a gambling activity in a bar or a café, you will need to start at the commune, where you will submit a specific request form. Your hospitality file (dossier Horeca) must also be in order with the commune for this type of business. You will find more information on the procedures about hospitality businesses on the page « Certificate of conformity for hospitality businesses » (Attestation de conformité Horeca ). 

In some cases, the police will conduct an enquiry. Once the authorisation has been granted, your request will be transferred to the Gaming Commission (KSC) (Commission des Jeux de Hasard (CJH)) who will deliver a Opens in new windowlicence C. 

Fees may apply for this procedure, you can find out more from the relevant services of the commune. 

Documents you will need to provide

The business owner must attach the following documents to his application file, although specific communes may ask for different ones:

- copy of the ID card of all the managers and active partners 

- if alcohol is sold on the premises, an extract from the judicial record 

- certificate of conformity of the electric systems 

- favourable report from the Service d'Incendie et d'Aide Médicale Urgente (SIAMU, firefighting and emergency medical assistance service)

- insurance policies for civil liability and fire damage 

- if applicable, proof of payment of dues on opening or purchasing a hospitality business 

- authorisation from AFSCA, Agence fédérale pour la sécurité de la chaîne alimentaire (FASFC, Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain) in case food is served on the premises.