Interactive
Belgium – BGC report recommends stricter advertising restrictions
By William - 10 January 2020
The Belgian betting industry could face further advertising restrictions according to a report published by the Belgian Gaming Commission (BGC).
The report concludes that despite the recent efforts of the BGC to take action against gambling operators marketing themselves, sports fans are still exposed to a high degree of advertising. The study showed that advertising remains prevalent across all the different types of media associated with the Jupiler Pro League, the top division of Belgian football, particularly at stadiums.
14 of the 16 league clubs maintain advertising partnerships with betting companies and the logo of Unibet is present on every ticket sold for Jupiler Pro League matches as part of its sponsorship agreement. However, the study did praise the effect of advertising on preventing customers migrating to illegal markets.
Since 2019, the BGC has been taking steps to align themselves with the Spanish model of severely restricting the advertising power of gaming companies. This included prohibiting providers from placing their commercials around live broadcasts of sporting events.
