Belgium to ban gambling advertising from 1 July 2023
Government agrees to draconian measure alongside further restrictions on sports sponsorship in the next five years
The Belgian government is set to ban gambling advertising across a range of mediums from 1 July in a major crackdown on the industry.
Under the new legislation, advertising will be banned on television and radio, in cinemas, magazines and newspapers as well as all public spaces.
Advertising online and on social media will also be prohibited in what will be a severe blow for operators in the regulated market.
The government further laid out the timeline for further advertising restrictions on sports sponsorship.
From 1 January 2025, the ban will extend to advertising in stadiums.
Then, from 1 January 2028, gambling firms will no longer be able to sponsor professional sports teams.
Belgian football’s top-flight, the Pro League, features 18 teams, of which 16 hold front-of-shirt gambling sponsors.
Additionally, sponsorship expenses will no longer be tax deductible for gambling companies under the new regulation.
Laying out its reasons for introducing the ban, the Belgian government pointed towards scientific research which showed advertising is linked to a rise in gambling-related harms and debt.
Justice minister Vincent Van Quickenborne said: “The government is deeply concerned about the impact of the huge amounts of gambling advertising that our society is facing.
“And for those who want to get rid of their gambling addiction, the tsunami of gambling advertising is an additional problem,” he added.
Van Quickenborne has long been a proponent of an advertising ban.
In May 2022, Van Quickenborne said he hoped to bring the ban into effect by the end of 2022, ultimately to no avail.
Last month, the president of the Belgian Gaming Commission(BGC), Magali Clavie, challenged the plan, stating a ban on marketing will only drive customers to the black market.