Five major Belgium-licensed gambling operators have agreed to voluntarily give up most of their advertising as long as the Belgian Government orders the National Lottery to do the same, local news outlet De Tijd reported over the weekend.
The five gambling operators, which form together the Belgian Association of Gaming Operators (BAGO), are understood to have approached Belgian Justice Minister Koen Geens with a proposal to stop all advertising on radio, television, and in print media as well as outdoor advertising from January 1, 2020.
The five operators’ proposal arrives just a few months after Belgium introduced a set of new rules limiting significantly the advertising options of locally licensed online casino and sports betting operators.
The five BAGO members calling for further limitations in the gambling advertising sector are Golden Palace Casino, Ardent Group, Napoleon Games, Betfirst, and Kindred Group’s Unibet brand. According to BAGO’s official website, the five operators represent around 70% of Belgium’s private gambling sector, which annually generates more than €1 billion in revenue.
BAGO’s Proposal
The five operators say they want to further reduce their advertising in Belgium in a goodwill gesture and hope to quench some of the criticism they have been subjected to for several years now. Most prominently, gambling companies landed in hot water over their excessive advertising campaigns during last year’s FIFA World Cup.
The five BAGO members told ministers that they are ready to stop advertising their products on television, radio, print media, and across bus shelters and outdoor billboards as of January 1, 2020.
Commenting on their proposal, Ardent Group CEO Emmanuel Mewissen said that they are “aware of the excessive presence of gambling adverts in recent years” and that with their recent initiative they want to “bring serenity back.”
However, BAGO’s proposal comes with one important condition. The five members of the association want the National Lottery to be ordered to follow the same advertising rules and policies as them.
The National Lottery is currently exempt from the rules that apply to the private sector. BAGO’s five members believe that the Lottery should be ordered to join their initiative to limit their advertising as, according to them, there is little difference between their products and the ones offered by the Lottery and that it is “of course also a game of chance.”
Online Gambling Ads Not Included in BAGO’s Initiative
BAGO’s proposal prominently excludes the Internet from the list of advertising channels its members are ready to stop using to promote their products and services.
Mr. Mewissen commented that “an online advertising stop is impossible, because otherwise we will be blown away by the illegal sector.” The casino executive went on that the reorganization of the Belgian gambling market in 2010 aimed to curb the illegal sector by providing locally licensed operators with enough freedom to provide and promote their products.
Additionally, BAGO members will not terminate their sponsorship deals with football clubs. All five operators are currently sponsoring nine of the country’s top class football clubs.
Consultation on the New Rules
As mentioned earlier, Belgium rolled out a set of new, stricter rules on gambling advertising on June 1. The new rules prohibit gambling companies from advertising online casino products on television.
Sports betting adverts are no longer allowed during live sports broadcasts. However, such ads can air before and after the events. Sports betting products are also prohibited from being promoted fifteen minutes before or after programs aimed at children and young people.
Gambling operators are not permitted to advertise bonus offers anywhere else but on their official websites, under the recently introduced rules.
The Belgian Gaming Commission launched last month a consultation on the advertising restrictions, asking operators for their input on what challenges they face in their efforts to comply with the rules. They can submit their comments and suggestions to the gambling regulator by Friday, October 4.
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on the day’s top casino news stories
