In September 2021, Belgium officially raised the minimum age for all forms of gambling to 21, however, the legislation appears to have had an adverse impact on thwarting the black market.
According to a report commissioned by the Belgian Association of Gaming Operators (BAGO), participation in the black market among young people aged 18-21 has risen to 65%, a 15% increase since the rule change was implemented.
Overall, the study found that one in four Belgian players access unlicensed gaming platforms, a figure that had led BAGO’s Chair, Tom De Clerq, to warn that the country “risks losing control of its gambling market”.
“We are on a slippery slope,” he said. “While licensed gambling sites are subject to strict rules, invest in responsible gaming and actively protect players, illegal operators are given free rein. And that has consequences: more and more people, especially young people and vulnerable target groups, end up in an illegal circuit without rules, without control and without protection.”
Perhaps most worryingly, the report also notes that almost half (47%) of those who had excluded themselves from gaming had begun again through illegal channels.
This highlights, according to BAGO, the danger of the black market given that it operates outside the country’s legal framework and does not offer any forms of player protection measures, such as age verification, registration to Belgium’s self-exclusion programme or deposit limits.
BAGO has attributed the rise of the black market to “intense advertising” campaigns across social media.
In light of the concerning data, BAGO’s Vice-President, Emmanuel Mewissen, reiterated the organisation’s support for a new government agreement aimed at intensifying the fight against illegal gambling and enhancing player protection in Belgium.
The new agreement focuses on three main tenets: intensifying the fight against illegal gambling, modernising Belgium’s regulatory framework and ensuring legal certainty for operators through stable and transparent legislation.
“[The agreement] should give the Gaming Commission the means to grow into a powerful regulator. This is the only way it can effectively tackle illegal providers, protect consumers and maintain a well-regulated private market,” concluded Mewissen.
