Belgium implements capacity limits for gaming venues

Venues will only be able to allow up to 40 people inside as the number of Covid-19 cases increases.

Belgium.- The government has published a decree limiting the capacity at land-based gaming venues to 40 as Covid-19 cases continue to rise in the country.

The government has also imposed a curfew under which casinos, gambling halls and betting shops must close between 11.30pm and 6.00am.

Onsite sales of food and drink have been prohibited and venues must register customers’ details when they arrive for the purposes of contact tracing.

Betting shops in Belgium were allowed to reopen in June following the country’s initial lockdown. Casinos were able to reopen from July 1.

Players already have to wear face masks, a rule which has been in force in all public places since July.

The Belgian government has been promoting its SOS Jeux helpline for gambling problems during the pandemic and has encouraged people suffering from gambling-related harm to self-exclude.

The Belgian Gambling Commission meanwhile has launched a working group to investigate ways to clamp down on unlicensed operators in the country.