Sciensano data shows Belgian online gambling has nearly doubled since 2018, rising from 7.9% to 14.8% of the population, despite the country’s 2023 ad ban on licensed private operators. The Belgian Association of Gaming Operators (BAGO) has called for stronger enforcement after the same survey found 52.6% of Belgians exposed weekly to gambling advertising, with the National Lottery’s Gambling Act exemption and the illegal online market behind most of that persistent reach.
Key Takeaways:
BAGO called for stronger Belgium enforcement after Sciensano data showed 52.6% weekly gambling ad reach.2.6% of the Belgian population is at risk of problem gambling per PGSI short-form screening tool.The National Lottery falls largely outside Belgium’s Gambling Act despite accounting for the overwhelming majority of player participation. Sciensano data indicates that lottery games are the single most popular gambling type at 29.5% of the population – translating to roughly 92% of all Belgian gamblers. Lottery advertising therefore remains broadly permitted across television, radio, and social media channels, channels that licensed private operators cannot use under the 2023 ad ban framework.
The Sciensano report also flagged the continued presence of the illegal online gambling market as outside the practical reach of Belgian advertising restrictions, with unlicensed operators continuing to target Belgian consumers through social media, affiliate platforms, and influencer channels without consulting the EPIS (Excluded Persons Information System) self-exclusion database, enforcing weekly deposit limits, applying age verification, or meeting the player protection requirements applied to licensed operators.
Belgium’s enforcement situation contrasts with recent UK measures. The UK Gambling Commission posted a senior “Head of Illegal Markets” role this week alongside £26 million in new government funding for black market enforcement, after research surfaced by the Betting and Gaming Council found the UK black market had grown to £16.6 billion in 2025, more than tripling from 2019.
BAGO summarized the policy gap in its response statement, arguing that the 52.6% weekly ad exposure metric “does not originate exclusively from licensed private operators” but is “also influenced by actors who fall outside the prohibition, operate under transitional regimes, or fail to comply with the rules.”
