SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
The Belgian Association of Gaming Operators (BAGO) has revealed a worrying statistic that further shows why the recent under-21 gambling ban adopted by Belgium was a well-timed step.
After Belgium’s Chamber of Representatives backed a decree endorsed by Minister Stefaan Van Hecke to overhaul the Belgian Gambling Act 1999, the country’s gambling authority – Kansspelcommissie, introduced new player protection measures by raising the minimum gambling age to 21.
The updated texts also significantly limited the ability of licensed operators to advertise to consumers, which BAGO cautioned that if the government subsequently looked to pursue a total ban on advertising, it could lead to consumer confusion about the legal options on the market.
However, the age limit on play seems to be completely in line with the trade body’s long-term vision for the sector. A new study commissioned by BAGO has revealed that over half of men aged between 18 and 21 had participated in illegal gambling prior to the ban being sanctioned.
Commenting on the study, Tom De Clercq, Chairman of BAGO, said: “This is very worrying. Young people under 21 are rightly no longer allowed to play with licensed operators. But even before the ban, almost half were already in the illegal circuit. This proves that illegal websites are a major social problem.
“Because recognised providers use strict age controls and are heavily committed to player protection, young people resort to illegal sites. It is very important that the approach to illegal gambling websites is tightened to stop this development.”
Further details provided by the study highlight that 29% of the men in the 18-21 age bracket have named an illegal gambling site when surveyed on the first gambling brand that comes to their mind.
Additionally, when the surveyed were provided with a list of operators, 85% of all respondents recognised the illegal brands. On the question of how they ended up playing on the illegal domains, 31% said that they’ve been influenced by social media advertisements, while 26% cited seeing a sports sponsorship.
BAGO Vice-President Emmanuel Mewissen said: “The high recognition of illegal gambling operators among young men between the ages of 18 and 21 is mainly due to the recruiting power of social media.
“You just have to open your social media app and you will be overwhelmed by ads from illegal gambling sites. These unlicensed gambling brands are predominantly present on these channels that are especially popular among young people.”
BAGO reminds that illegal gambling operators do not offer the necessary protections to keep players safe, such as age verifications, self-exclusion schemes, and bonus bans/limits.
In its latest efforts to push back against illegal gambling, Belgium’s government renewed its Economic Code by giving individual gambling market shareholders the unilateral right to raise a complaint about a potential infringement of regulations directly to the Brussels Commercial Court.
De Clercq concluded: “Young people have more and more access to illegal gambling sites, which attract them with tempting bonuses, but which also endanger the privacy and security of personal data.
“These platforms not only increase the risk of gambling addiction, but also undermine confidence in a safe, regulated gambling market. BAGO therefore advocates targeted awareness campaigns, a fact-based gambling policy and a stricter approach to illegal websites and measures to cut off financial flows to these providers.”
