The lottery has recently urged the Belgian government to impose stricter regulations on marketing activities of non-lottery operators. In response, the government has announced a ban on gambling advertising, with the exception of the National Lottery, which is the largest single gambling advertiser in the country, accounting for 40% of the total share.
In October 2021, the lottery sent a letter to secretaries of state Sammy Mahdi and Eva de Bleeker expressing its concerns. However, it clarifies that it had no involvement in the proposal made by Minister Vincent van Quickenborne to ban gambling ads through a royal decree.
Reports allege that the lottery offered an additional €30 million over three years to secure the ad ban, which was seen as an attempt to limit competition. The lottery denies this claim and explains that the government actually proposed higher payments. However, the lottery finds these higher payments impractical as long as private operators are allowed to freely market their services.
The lottery argues that its monopoly has been significantly undermined by the arrival of numerous private gambling operators who operate under less stringent regulations in the areas of casino games and sports betting. These operators are also believed to be responsible for the significant growth in gambling-related problems in society.
