Gambling controls 'not effective', says Gaming Commission

Recent measures introduced to curb gambling are not having an effect, according to the sector’s recently released 2023 annual report.

Gambling took in Belgium took in €1.7 billion in profits last year - “an absolute record” according to officials.

Those record profits come in spite of the measures introduced in 2022 and 2023, some of which the Gaming Commission is calling “unnecessary”.

The measures mainly target gambling advertising, banning several forms of it since 1 June 2023. Beginning in 2025, restrictions will expand to sponsorship of sports clubs.

“It takes time for advertising, even if it is no longer in the public space, to disappear from the minds of consumers – we knew that the effects would not be immediate,” said Magali Clavie, president of the Gaming Commission.

“On the other hand, we have legislation that has had absolutely no effect, such as the legislation limiting deposits on online gaming accounts to €200 per week. This measure was very easily circumvented, since all players had to do was open three accounts instead of one, so the limit was of no practical use.”

Another new measure was aimed at shutting down newspaper or book shops whose main operation was actually gambling.

“We saw that there were fewer and fewer bogus bookshops,” Clavie said. “Checks and closures have reduced the turnover of these fraudulent establishments.”

The report also noted that for the fourth year running, online gambling has outstripped physical gambling – something of particular concern to the industry “firstly, because online gambling primarily affects young people”, said Clavie, and “secondly, because there is currently insufficient legislation to govern these online games”.

The Commission is calling for tighter restrictions and greater responsibility on the part of the government.

“There's still a lot to be done – as we've said, online gambling has overtaken land-based gambling, and online gambling remains largely unregulated, so we really need to take political action here,” said Clavie.

“But above all, when we introduce regulations, we need to ensure that they’re relevant and that they will be effective in practice. The laws and measures taken by the government must really serve to protect players. Because otherwise, it's a good intention, but it remains at the intention stage and doesn't materialise in terms of its effects.”

In Belgium, 53,000 people have voluntarily placed themselves on a ban-list to help curb a gambling addiction. In terms of Belgians with a gambling problem, the Gaming Commission said that the figure is only the tip of the iceberg, as many addicts are not aware of their addiction or choose not to voluntarily be banned.