Belgium public health body finds less than 3% of gamblers at-risk despite high ad exposure

Sciensano has reported that risky gambling behaviour in Belgium has remained stable over the past five years, although more than half of the population continues to be exposed to gambling advertising on a weekly basis.

According to the Belgium public health institute’s latest Health Survey, 2.6% of Belgian players currently display risky gambling behaviour, while 0.6% are considered at high risk of problematic gambling activity.

At the same time, the survey found that 52.2% of the Belgian population is exposed weekly to at least one form of gambling advertising via either television, websites or social media platforms.

The research also highlighted the continued dominance of lottery products within the Belgian market, with nine out of 10 Belgian players participating in lottery games.

Exposure to gambling sponsorship appears more mixed. Around one in 10 Belgians reported frequent exposure to sponsorship activity, while four in 10 stated they noticed little or no gambling sponsorshi..