Belgium tightens legislation on online gambling advertising: for better or for worse?

Belgium

In Belgium, the online gambling sector has experienced significant growth over the last few years, despite the restrictive policy put in place by the authorities.

According to some commentators, this growth can to a large extent be explained by the intensive marketing campaigns that have been conducted by gambling operators, in particular bonus/promotions systems and loyalty programmes. According to some sources, the private gambling sector has doubled its marketing and advertising spend in recent years.

Following the political will expressed by Minister for Justice Koen Geens to combat invasive and aggressive advertising in the gambling sector, the Belgian government adopted on 25 October 2018 a new Royal Decree enacting long-discussed restrictions on online gambling advertising.

After a brief historical recap of the situation, this article analyses the new restrictions imposed by this Royal Decree.

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