The main forms of gambling advertising are banned. Minister of Justice VincentVan Quickenborne (Open Vld) reports this in a press release. The restrictionswill take effect from July 1, 2023. From then on, such advertising ontelevision, radio and in cinemas, advertisements and video advertising onwebsites will be prohibited. The sponsorship of sports clubs will also berestricted from 1 January 2025. MR chairman Georges-Louis Bouchez againdisputes that the government agrees on the ban on gambling advertising. Butthe Prime Minister’s office denies that. “There is an agreement down to thelast square centimetre,” it says.
IBB and YAKD 12/16/22, 5:10 PM
Latest update: 20:13 Source: press release Van Quickenborne, Belgium
Gambling advertising will no longer be allowed on TV and radio, on websitesand social media, in newspapers and magazines and on street posters. “Thephilosophy will be that only those who want to gamble and who actively lookfor information about games of chance will see gambling advertisements in thefuture,” said Van Quickenborne in this newspaper earlier this year.
The sponsorship of sports clubs by gambling companies will also be tackled.There was still discussion about this within the federal government this year,including MR chairman Georges-Louis Bouchez “completely opposed” it. In theend, the ban will come, but with a transitional period to respect the currentcontracts. From January 1, 2025, all gambling advertising, such as banners,posters, advertising panels and commercials, will be banned from the stadiums.
The football shirts are another exception. Until December 31, 2027, only alogo with name, but without a slogan, may be placed on the shirt. Thedimensions of the logo are limited and the logo may not be applied to thefront. From January 1, 2028, this will also be prohibited for professionalsports clubs, amateur sports clubs will still be allowed to do this.
In addition, the government has decided to increase the minimum age forgambling and betting to 21 years everywhere. Similar measures are being takenfor the National Lottery, but they are still being worked out.
Finally, the government is committed to supporting the amendments to theGaming and Betting Act that have been worked out by Member of ParliamentStefaan Van Hecke (Groen). These include a cumulative ban on different typesof games of chance on one website, an extension of the application of the listof excluded persons to newsagents and various other restrictive measures.
LOOK. Former gambling addict testifies about his addiction and explains whyhe is strongly in favor of a ban on advertising
Bouchez disputes
“Vincent Van Quickenborne is going too fast again. There is no agreement onthe gambling advertising text as it has not been shown to the partners.Important questions have yet to be decided,” Bouchez wrote on Twitter onFriday.
Georges L BOUCHEZ > @GLBouchez >
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The reaction of the French-speaking liberal is reminiscent of this spring,when Minister Van Quickenborne first announced his KB to the world. It turnedout that the various competent ministers supported the ban, but the MR turnedout to be against it.
Gambling companies outraged
BAGO, a federation of legal gambling companies, reacted with anger on Fridayto the ban on gambling advertising that the government approved earlierFriday. “Consumers will no longer be able to tell the difference between thelegal and the illegal offer, and are increasingly likely to play on websitesthat offer no guarantees in terms of player protection,” the federation saidin a response.
The private sector does not like that different rules apply to the NationalLottery, owned by the Belgian government. “However, studies show that no gameof chance is risk-free and that, for example, scratch games have a risksimilar to that of sports betting,” says BAGO. “The question can therefore beasked whether the government is actually making a decision here that focuseson consumer care, or rather the interests of the National Lottery.”