Belgium Asks Operators to Follow New Messaging Rules

Belgium’s Gambling Commission, the Kansspelcommissie (KSC), has reminded licensed operators that they must warn customers of the dangers of gambling across all of their communications.

The move follows a recent ban on gambling advertising in the country, barring operators from freely promoting their products. The drastic measures kicked off on July 1, imposing a blanket ban on ads.

Now, the KSC has contacted its licensees, reminding them that all their communications and messages visible to the customers must contain mandatory preventive messages. The messages must highlight the addictive nature of gambling and remind players to play in moderation.

In addition to that, as per Article 25 of the Royal Decree, gambling operators in Belgium must also reference the country’s self-exclusion program, Stopoptijd, across their messaging.

Article 25 of this Royal Decree states that the preventive message referred to in Article 20 must currently contain the following message: “Gambling can be addictive. Stop in time! More info at www.stopoptijd.be.”

KSC statement

The Strict Rules Seek to Mitigate Gambling Harm

Belgium introduced its blanket ban on ads amid concerns about gambling harm. The changes, first introduced by Belgium’s Minister of Justice, Vincent Van Quickenborne, seek to curb problem gambling and reduce Belgians’ exposure to gambling products.

Gambling and betting organizations tried to counteract the ban by launching a number of lawsuits but failed to prevent the new laws from getting passed.

The full ban is expected to be enforced from July 2025 and will ban partnerships between sports betting companies and sports organizations as well. The grace period was provided so that existing sponsorships can expire before the new rules come into force.

Finally, the Royal Decree raised the legal age for gambling from 18 to 21 years, in line with the required age for other verticals such as bingo and betting.

Belgium Still Attractive to Betting Companies

Despite the strict new rules, Belgium remains an attractive market for sports betting companies and suppliers, as attested by a number of recent deals.

Last month, Betsson announced its foray into the country through a €120 million acquisition of betFIRST, a leading local gaming and betting operator.

Peppermill Casino, on the other hand, just added content from Pragmatic Play, diversifying its offering and boosting the supplier’s presence in the country.

At the beginning of this month, Belgium’s competitions authority objected to a horse racing distribution agreement between Ladbrokes and Pari-Mutuel Urbain that could hurt competition in the country.