The Commission has proposed six strict measures to limit advertising seen by vulnerable groups in Belgium, where bonuses are already banned and a previous attempt to ban online casino game marketing was struck down by a court ruling.
The first measure is a prohibition on personalized advertising for young people, excluded players, or players who have not gambled for a long period of time. However, the regulator did not specify the age or length of break for this prohibition.
In addition, the regulator suggests a general restriction on who can be targeted with advertising, along with a requirement to include a warning message in all ads and an option for players to opt-out of personalized advertising.
The Commission also proposes a ban on advertising in public places like billboards in train stations. It also suggests determining the volume of permitted advertising, but does not specify a specific frequency.
The regulator calls for more flexibility in enforcing rules, suggesting that guidelines would be more effective than a list of banned marketing methods. It also seeks more power to act quickly when marketing rules are broken.
Belgian legislators recently introduced an amendment requiring separate online betting and casino accounts, a move criticized by local operator association BAGO for potentially undermining safer gambling efforts.
Earlier this year, the Belgian government imposed new restrictions on stakes, betting times, and advertising for newsagents offering bookmaking services. This decision followed gaming operator Golden Palace acquiring the retail network of the national postal service, Bpost, leading to concerns about betting at newsagents.
