Belgium limits newsagents’ betting hours, stakes and advertising
New restrictions limit betting hours and stakes at Belgian newsagents.
Belgium.- The Belgian Gambling Commission (BGC) has announced the implementation of a new Royal Decree on gambling, which imposes restrictions on betting stakes, times and advertising at newsagents in the country. The legislation was approved in February following advice from the BGC.
While the original degree brought in regulation allowing newsagents to take retail bets, the new rules place more restrictions on how they can do that, including major restrictions on how much of their income can come from betting.
There are currently 1,543 newsagents in Belgium that offer betting, including more than 200 in Brussels and 200 in Antwerp. They can now only accept bets between the hours of 6am and 8pm, while no individual newsagent will be able to take more than €250,000 in bets annually, and no more than 20 per cent of its total revenue.
The decree also imposes rules on how much space newsagents can dedicate to betting and to advertising betting. Newsagents must dedicate no more than one-fifth of their retail space to betting and no more than 10 square metres in total. The maximum number of terminals for processing bets will be four.
Newsagents must also maintain their traditional product focus by displaying at least 200 daily, weekly and monthly publications on display, and these must generate at least €25,000 in annual sales.
As for advertising, betting adverts may only account for a maximum of 20 per cent of all advertising at newsagents and no more than three square metres in total space inside and outside premises.
Newsagents that already have F2 betting licences have until January 1, 2023 to comply with some of the rules such as the revenue cap and rules on space.
However, as of immediate effect, newsagents that offer betting must all have a non-exclusive agreement with a betting operator that holds an F1 licence. Those that do not comply will have to surrender their F2 licence.
Belgium’s F2 licences come in various forms, also licensing betting shops, bookmakers and racing associations. F1 licences are given to online betting operators.
