SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Belgium’s Gaming Commission, Kansspelcommissie (KSC), has introduced new measures regarding gambling sports sponsorships that will roll out from January 2025.
The text amendments envision that sports clubs would only be able to accept deals with companies or associations that do not operate games of chance but still use the logo or brand name of gaming operators in some form or another.
These include foundations, supporter networks, applications, websites with general information about football matches, online broadcast channels, and more.
Promotion of such companies related to the gambling sector will still be subjected to gambling advertising rules under the Gambling Act 1999, even if the purpose of the promotion is not to directly entice gambling.
Additional changes entail that the logo displays can no longer be placed on the front of sportswear, and can not exceed a surface area of 75 cm².
According to recent data from Belgium’s gambling regulator, football is still the biggest driver for local sports bets. This year’s figures were additionally boosted by the Euros 2024.
During the tournament, new online player accounts were created at an average of 1,031 per day, which constituted a 31% increase compared to the 787 accounts prior to the competition.
The daily average amount of total online bets was €6.5m throughout the year up until the Euros, with redistributed winnings averaging €5.98m. This rose to €8.6m in daily stakes and €7.54m in daily winnings during the tournament.
The latest amendments are part of a larger player protection package that Belgium introduced earlier in September, which was approved by the Chamber of Representatives after being endorsed by Green Party Minister Stefaan Van Hecke.
By adopting the decree, Belgium became the second state in the EU after Greece to implement a 21-year age requirement for both online and land-based gambling. License holders can also no longer offer free bets, bonuses or gifts as player incentives.
