Belgium has introduced new regulations that set the minimum gambling age at 21 across all forms of gambling. This standardization brings sports betting, arcades, and bingo in line with land-based casinos, which have required players to be at least 21 since 2018. The decision, finalized in February 2024 and enacted by royal decree last month, replaces several outdated gambling laws in Belgium.
This legislation is part of ongoing efforts to tighten control over the legal gambling industry. It follows a 2023 royal decree that severely limited gambling advertising and earlier measures like the 2020 bans on bonuses and free bets and the introduction of a €200 weekly deposit limit. Additionally, there’s now a restriction on combining multiple online licenses on the same website.
The Flemish center of expertise, VAD, which focuses on issues like alcohol, drugs, and gambling, supported the age increase, viewing it as a cost-effective strategy to reduce youth addiction. However, licensed gambling operators in Belgium worry that these stricter regulations will push players towards unregulated offshore sites.
Earlier this year, Gaming1, a Belgium-based operator, raised concerns about the impact of overregulation on the gambling market, citing a 2023 Nepa survey that reported a 6% increase in online players using illegal websites and a 4% rise in deposits on these sites after the advertising ban. Further reports highlighted by Gaming1 include a Belgian Gaming Commission blacklist with 500 illegal sites and a Yield Sec study showing a 4.4-fold increase in illegal operators in 2023, identifying 2,214 illegal sites.
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