Follow the Money: The Podcast The lottery scandal that shook Brussels
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Feb 25, 2026 Simon Van Dorpe, in-house corruption specialist and investigative reporter, walks through the fall of a powerful EU politician. He unpacks the raids, the lottery-ticket money laundering allegation, questions around gambling claims, banking red flags, and how reporting brought the probe to light.
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Raids Days After Reynders Left Office
- Simon van Dorpe described how Belgian police raided Didier Reynders' homes two days after his EU commission term ended and interrogated him in a money laundering probe.
- Reynders allegedly used cash deposits and later bought national lottery e-tickets at a local gas station to funnel winnings into his private account as a laundering method.
Lottery Tickets Used As A Laundering Tool
- Van Dorpe explained the alleged laundering mechanics: large cash deposits then switching to buying e-tickets worth up to the legal weekly maximum and transferring online winnings to a private account.
- Over ~5 years Reynders spent about €200,000 on e-tickets, using both his and his wife's accounts to hit limits.
Behavior Not Consistent With Gambling Addiction
- Van Dorpe argued Reynders' pattern didn't match a gambling addict: instead of reinvesting winnings, he withdrew profits to his private account while continuing to inject cash.
- The National Lottery noted he hit maximum play limits and used two accounts, which contradicts typical addictive betting behavior.