A third of Belgian 18 to 30-year-olds claim to have bet with unlicensed operators
Four unlicensed sites are among the top 10 most-known sites in Belgium as regulator reveals data from recent survey
A new study by the Belgian Gaming Commission has found a third of 18 to 30-year-olds have played with an unlicensed operator in the past three years.
The study also found that 53% of the cohort had participated in gambling in the last three years, with online betting far more common than in a retail setting.
Of those that participated in online gambling, 90% of players did so via a licensed operator, with 7% of players only using unlicensed operators.
The regulator also noted that awareness of unlicensed operators in the market was prevalent.
The study found that four of the 10 most well-known operators in the country are unlicensed sites.
In this study, the sample group were asked which sites they recognised by name alone and whether they had visited them. The top six were all licensed in Belgium, with Unibet being the most well-known brand in the market.
The other four were all unlicensed sites, with bet365 being the most well-known. The other three operators were Winamax, 1Xbet and 22bet.
Outside of the top 10 sites, Stake and Pinnacle were among the unlicensed operators used by 18 to 30-year-olds in Belgium.
In terms of responsible gambling awareness, just over half of those who have participated in gambling in the past three years believe that there is enough awareness about the dangers of gambling, while those who haven’t are less likely to share that opinion.
This survey comes after the Belgian government introduced widespread advertising restrictions on gambling advertising at the beginning of July.
Under the new rules, advertising is banned on television and radio, cinemas, magazines and newspapers, as well as in all public spaces.
The survey asked the participants if they were in favour of the ban, and 46% responded, saying there should be no general ban on advertising, but there should be certain restrictions on advertising. One in four respondents said that advertising has encouraged them to play further, and 42% favour the ban.
This study had a sample size of 1,000 people aged between 18 and 30 and took place between 19 June and 29 June.