SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Belgium has introduced a list of changes to its 1999 Gambling Act, the majority of which are expected to come into force starting June.
Officially published in the Belgian State Gazette, the amendments aim to introduce a stricter gambling regime to the country with the goal of protecting players susceptible to gambling harm.
As reported by casinonieuws.nl, some of the changes will see owners of gambling venues registered as class one, two and four establishments being required to keep up-to-date with the country’s Excluded Persons Information System (EPIS), a registry that includes all excluded players.
Images from camera surveillance are also added to the new amendments as a provision that allows police officers and liaison officers of the Belgian Gambling Commission to require them from gambling establishments when necessary.
Players on the EPIS list who nevertheless gamble by using another person’s ID details will be subject to legal punishments. This also applies to the owner of the ID document and the gambling company that allows this to take place.
The EPIS registry itself will be accordingly amended to comply with the latest European GDPR rules.
Another important step towards reducing gambling harm rates is the implementation of a new minimum age of gambling.
When the new changes come into force, the new minimum age limit will be brought up to 21 for all types of gambling, replacing the current 18 years limit for online and offline betting – mirroring recent developments in Greece.
The changes were jump-started by Green MP Stefaan Van Hecke, and have been met with criticism from the ‘Belgian Association of Gaming Operators‘ (BAGO) trade body.
