Gaming1

Gaming1 — Better World Casinos Level 1 ESG Operator Review (2025)

Company Overview

Founding & HQ. Gaming1 is the entertainment arm of Belgium’s Ardent Group, headquartered in Liège. The group’s roots date to 1992 with the first Circus gaming hall; Gaming1 as a company emerged in 2011 with the launch of Circus.be, following a partnership with ProduWeb ¹.

Main markets. Gaming1 operates across Western Europe with a strong Belgian base (land-based and online), and activities in the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and France; it also references partnerships in Portugal and the US ².

Operating & regulatory licences (examples).

• Belgium: Circus Belgium S.A. holds BGC authorisations for online operations (A+/A licences apply to online casino and land-based partnerships) ⁵.
• Netherlands: Circus.nl operates under a licence from the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) (brand site reference) ⁶.
• Spain: Casino777.es is licensed by the Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego (DGOJ) (brand group reference) ².
• Switzerland/France: Group communications reference concessions/operations in Davos and Crans-Montana within the broader network ².

Brands / sub-brands. Flagship brands include Circus (online & land-based) and 777 / Casino777 in several jurisdictions; the group also operates Grand Casino de Namur and Casino de Spa in Belgium, plus gaming halls in Belgium/France ².

Product verticals. Casino, sportsbook and poker across land-based and online channels (omnichannel model) ².

Responsible Gambling

Public commitments & messaging. Gaming1’s 2023 ESG report highlights “responsible entertainment” as part of its mission, with addiction detection and prevention tools, staff training and policy governance central to its approach ³. It is a member of BAGO (Belgian Association of Gaming Operators) and aligns with its “Duty of Care” convention ⁹.

Industry initiatives & partnerships.

• BAGO Duty of Care Convention (Nov 2023): Ardent Group/Gaming1 is a signatory, committing to data-driven prevention and early identification of problematic play ⁹.
• Employee RG training: The ESG 2023 report describes mandatory annual e-learning developed with healthcare experts, with programme updates planned ³.
• Player tools (Belgium): Circus applies default deposit limits aligned with BGC procedures, including regulator checks before increases, as described in site legal/terms ⁵.

Accreditations / Codes — status observed.

• G4 Accreditation: No public information found ³.
• RGC “RG Check”: No public information found ³.
• NCPG iCAP (US): No public information found ³.
• AGA RG Code of Conduct: Not applicable (US-focused code) ³.
• National/Regional codes: BAGO Duty of Care signed ⁹.
• QMRA Quality Mark (operators): No public operator listing identified ³.

Verification examples. Gaming1’s Code of Conduct (AML/ethics and compliance) is public; Circus’s terms describe regulator-mandated limit workflows ⁴⁵.

ESG / Sustainability

Policy & reporting. Gaming1 publishes dedicated ESG/Sustainability reporting. The 2023 ESG report (published 2024) states use of GRI guidance, alignment to UN SDGs, and a double materiality assessment. It also reports maintaining EcoVadis Silver and Top Employer Belgium status ³.

Standards & frameworks.

• GRI: Report compiled “following GRI standards” ³.
• CSRD: Double materiality referenced; formal CSRD alignment not explicitly claimed ³.
• MSCI / Sustainalytics: No public rating disclosures found ³.
• SBTi: No public commitment found ³.

Goals & performance indicators (selected).

• Carbon footprint expansion: 2023 scope expanded to include Belgian land-based activities ³.
• Social/community: Ardent Awards provide annual funding to local non-profits (>€90k in 2023) ³.
• People: Top Employer Belgium recognition and ongoing staff training programmes ³.

Named SDGs. The 2023 report includes a section on United Nations Sustainable Development Goals ³.

Compliance & Controversies

Regulatory environment (Belgium). Since July 2023, Belgium enforces a wide-ranging ban on gambling advertising, with further sports restrictions entering into effect; the BGC has intensified sanctions in 2024/25. This provides market context rather than a Gaming1-specific sanction ¹⁰.

Known enforcement concerning the Circus brand (Netherlands, 2025). The KSA issued a warning to Hotel Gaming Services, operator of Circus Gran Casino gaming arcades, for using “role models” in marketing in breach of Dutch rules. This relates to land-based arcades using the Circus brand; it is separate from Gaming1’s online operations (Circus.nl) ¹¹.

Other fines/sanctions. No public regulator fine or sanction specifically naming Gaming1/Circus online was identified in the past 24 months ³.

Governance & ethics documentation. A public Code of Conduct (including AML, sanctions compliance and ethics) is available ⁴.

Ratings, Awards & Charity Associations

Third-party ratings.

• EcoVadis: Silver (top ~15% globally) maintained in 2023, per Gaming1’s ESG report ³.

Industry awards.

• EGR Marketing & Innovation Awards 2023 – “Best Use of Brand Ambassador” (Ronaldinho/Circus campaign) ⁸.

Charity & community.

• Ardent Awards (annual funding for Liège-region non-profits; >€90k to six winners in 2023; historic Covid-19 donations) ³.

References

1. Company history (Gaming1)
2. Our brands (Gaming1)
3. ESG Report 2023 (Gaming1)
4. Code of Conduct (Gaming1)
5. Circus Belgium — Terms / Legal
6. Circus.nl (brand reference)
7. ESG 2023 news post (Gaming1)
8. EGR M&I Awards news (Gaming1)
9. BAGO Duty of Care (press release)
10. Belgium ad ban (Reuters)
11. KSA warning — role models (iGB)