During Euro 2020, there were a total of 36,418 new players in the online casino-games industry. This number is over four times higher than the 8,846 players recorded in the previous month of May.
It is important to note that these figures encompass all forms of online gambling and not merely sports betting statistics.
Euro 2020 took place from June 11 to July 11, concluding before the government implemented the proposal to reduce Belgium’s weekly loss limit from €500 to €200.
Over the course of the tournament, 103,511 new accounts were created in the week leading up to and during Euro 2020. The average number of daily players during this period was 191,434, a significant increase from the May average of 132,818 players.
In total, 497,047 individuals used licensed casino-games sites during the tournament, resulting in approximately six million participations.
The betting activity tended to surge when the Belgian national football team played their matches. The daily player count dipped below the tournament average of 191,434 players only once, during Belgium’s first fixture against Russia, with 190,453 active players. On the other hand, the peak number of daily players was 281,923 during Belgium’s match against Finland.
Following Belgium’s elimination from the competition, the average number of daily players dropped to 138,591 the next day.
Additionally, the number of self-exclusions per day increased during the tournament, averaging at 12 compared to the pre-tournament average of eight. However, these figures varied significantly from day to day.
The CJH expressed the importance of spreading gambling prevention information and messages. They were pleased to collaborate with BAGO (Belgian Association of Gaming Operators) for the “Stop in time!” campaign, which emphasized the CJH’s central message: “Don’t let the game get to your head. Stop in time.” The CJH intends to continue such initiatives in the future in collaboration with both the legal gambling sector and charitable organizations.
