Become scandalously rich! The National Lottery slogan is backfiring. Yesterday, the public gaming institution justified itself at length in a press release regarding the significant sums played by former commissioner and former liberal minister Didier Reynders. The elements she puts on the table confirm that we are facing an affair that is as exceptional as it is edifying.
Silences of Reynders and his loved ones
Since the revelation of the anti-money laundering investigation carried out into the large sums played by Didier Reynders (MR), there has been no shortage of questions. And the answers are slow: Didier Reynders and his relatives remain silent (which is their right), and the investigation continues in relative secrecy (which is normal). Relative nonetheless, because otherwise we wouldn’t know anything.
The Lottery itself therefore decided to speak out, to restore its reputation which it considers damaged in this affair. Indeed, for several days, some, notably MPs, have believed that the Lottery took too long to reveal the facts which span around ten years, or that the control systems are insufficient. In short, the Lottery has had enough of being accused of being a washing machine for dirty money. For its part, Didier Reynders’ defense refuted suspicions of money laundering and cited a passion for gambling, or even compulsive behavior, as an explanation. And then, the Lottery had enough of being accused of being a dealer for gaming addicts. The Lottery has therefore communicated on the matter, and what it brings to light is rather serious.
An exceptional method according to the National Lottery
From 2022, the Lottery is launching an internal investigation into a point of sale that sold an abnormally high number of tickets. These tickets are linked to two player accounts: that of Didier Reynders, then European Commissioner, and that of his wife, a magistrate. And what the investigation unit discovers is very atypical.
First disturbing element : the ceilings of 500 euros per week are regularly reached (i.e. 1,000 euros per week for the couple) and this over a long period. In 2023, this represents almost 50,000 euros for the couple.
Second element : large sums are bet via e-tickets, vouchers purchased at Lottery points of sale. Almost everything the couple plays in the Lottery is wagered this way. It’s rare, and it’s even a unique case.
Third disturbing element : the accounts are very often emptied, the winnings being transferred to bank accounts. No other player in Belgium has transferred such large amounts as the Reynders couple: more than 30,000 euros between them.
This profile does not correspond to that of a compulsive gambler, who tends to immediately gamble the money won. The Lottery reports that, out of nearly a million active accounts, the Reynders couple are the only two players in Belgium to combine these different indices.
Unpacking
A proper disclosure, because the Lottery wants to defend itself from any accusation of protecting a political figure. At the Belgian and European level, several deputies are surprised that facts dating back almost 10 years were only revealed after the end of Didier Reynders’ mandate as commissioner.
The Lottery therefore insists on its part: its internal investigation, which took place in 2022, while Justice did not begin its investigation until a year later, in 2023. As a necessarily politicized public company, the National Lottery is keen to demonstrate that it has done its reporting work. But many questions remain open, in particular on the severity of these reporting criteria and risk analyses.
Information to be compared with that of our colleagues from Eveningwho wrote this morning that “Didier Reynders and his partner began to gamble large sums of money after the bank of the former European commissioner began to ask him questions about the numerous cash deposits made in his current account over ten or fifteen years : approximately 800,000 euros“.
Beyond the lottery, questions now arise about these bank deposits made over such a long period. How can we explain where the money comes from? When were these deposits reported to the authorities? And why is this affair only revealed when Didier Reynders is no longer in charge? A real iceberg, where the submerged part has yet to be discovered.
