Belgian gaming operators call for “level playing field” on advertising
BAGO has called for “coherent rules” and stronger action against ads for unlicensed gambling.
Belgium.- The Belgian Association of Gaming Operators (BAGO) has urged authorities to step up enforcement against unlicensed gambling providers following the release of new data on public exposure to advertising. The trade body criticised what it sees as a “fragmented” advertising environment in which licensed operators face strict rules while the National Lottery has exemptions and unlicensed operators continue to advertise openly.
The latest Health Survey by the Belgian public health institute Sciensano, covering gaming habits in 2023–2024, revealed that 52.6 per cent of Belgians encountered at least one form of gambling advertising each week. Television was the most common medium (51.1 per cent), followed by websites and apps (47.3 per cent) and social media (46.4 per cent). Street advertising (45.2 per cent), shop displays (44.1 per cent), newspapers and magazines (28.6 per cent), and email/SMS (19.5 per cent) were also significant channels.
However, online gambling operators in Belgium have been banned from advertising on nearly all platforms, except their own websites, points of sale and search engines (under certain conditions), since 2023. A ban on sports sponsorship came into force at the start of 2025.
BAGO stressed that illegal providers remain unaffected by such restrictions and that exposure measured by Sciensano’s survey “does not come solely from licensed private operators.”
“By definition, the figure also includes advertising and sponsorship from actors who either fall outside the ban, do not comply with it or operate under a temporary exemption,” it said.
“Illegal providers thus continue to reach Belgian consumers via social media, affiliate websites, influencers and other digital channels, without age verification, EPIS [Belgium’s self-exclusion system], deposit limits or enforceable duty of care,” the association added.
BAGO has called for “coherent rules for all gambling products” and warned that any new restrictions on licensed operators could undermine the visibility of legal gambling offerings. It urged authorities to take more enforcement action against ads for unlicensed offerings.
“Only within such a licensed framework can player protection, age verification, EPIS, limits, monitoring and the duty of care be effectively applied and enforced,” it said. “Therefore, BAGO advocates for a level playing field in which the same basic rules apply to all gambling products, and for a strengthening of the Gambling Commission so that it can take effective action against illegal providers.”
