Following the approval of new player protection amendments to the Belgian Gambling Act of 1999, the Gambling Authority of Belgium (Kansspelcommissie) announced it will apply new measures designed to protect the vulnerable population. Starting with raising the minimum gambling age to 21, SBC News reported March 5. This applies to online and land-based gambling.
Before the decree, the 21-year-old rule only applied to land-based gambling.
The Chamber of Representatives approved of the amendments to adopt tougher compliance measures. Previously the only European nation to have a 21-year minimum age for gambling was Greece.
In addition to the age limit, bars, clubs and recreational centers will be banned from operating slot machines.
Restrictions on gambling ads were added last summer. Operators were also banned from offering free bets, bonuses or gifts to attract players. Ads at soccer stadiums will be included in the ban beginning early next year.
The Belgium Association of Gaming Operators (BAGO) has opposed a total ad ban, warning that it could make it hard for players to tell illegal from legal sites. BAGO Chairman Tom De Clercq declared, “We must once again conclude that policymakers ignore the solutions we have proposed and opt for populist formulas.”
