Age Limits, Tax Relief and Europe’s Tripling Black Market
Weekend conversation corner - 18 September
Welcome to the thirty-fifth episode of Season 2 of Weekend Conversation Corner, brought to you by Focus Gaming News! I’m your host, Oliver, alongside my co-host Charlotte, bringing you a breakdown of the biggest headlines shaping global gaming regulation this week.
In this episode, we cover:
- Belgium’s Regulatory Shift: Online licensed gambling revenue hit €965m in 2025, but first-time player sign-ups plummeted by 43.1 per cent after the legal age limit was raised to 21.
- US Tax Legislation: The House Ways and Means Committee advanced the bipartisan FULL HOUSE Act to restore the 100% tax deduction on gambling losses and eliminate unfair taxation on "phantom income".
- Surging Illegal Gambling: A new study by Euromat shows Europe’s black market has tripled since 2020, reaching an estimated €12bn.
- Advertising Crackdowns: The LHGP consortium in Britain demands a total ban on all gambling advertising across all channels before the 2027/28 football season, while Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko calls for a strict review of national advertising rules following public backlash.
With first-time players dropping in Belgium and Europe's illegal market tripling to €12bn, are tighter age limits and strict regulations protecting consumers—or unintentionally driving them to unregulated sites?
