Vincent Van Peteghem, who is in charge of Belgium’s National Lottery, has announced that the lottery is stopping all sports betting ads during the FIFA World Cup, which is continuing in Qatar until December 18.
The goal, said Peteghem, the Minister of Finance, is to protect consumers from harm. “The National Lottery is taking a leading role in protecting players and fighting gambling addiction,” Peteghem said in a press release November 25. “At a World Cup, the sport and supporter experience should be central.”
He added, “Advertising for sports betting should have no place in broadcasts or reports via television, radio, and written press,” he added, as reported by The Brussels Times. “The National Lottery is already setting a good example by not advertising its sports betting on these channels.”
The World Cup has historically been a time when sports betting increases. In the 2018 World Cup, the Belgian Gambling Commission found that half of those newly register were first time gamblers.
In November the government adopted a €200 weekly loss limit, down from €500 per week. In May the government announced plans to completely ban all forms of gambling advertising—except for the National Lottery.
