Data: Belgians flocked to online betting during Euro 2020
Regulatory report confirms more than 36,000 new bettors placed their first online wagers during showpiece tournament where Belgium reached the quarter finals
More than 36,000 new bettors placed their first online bets in Belgium during Euro 2020, according to the latest data from the Belgian Gaming Commission (BGC).
Analysing Belgian betting patterns during the tournament, the BGC confirmed 36,418 new gamblers placed bets, more than four times than in the month of May prior to the tournament, where just 8,486 new players placed bets.
During Euro 2020 and the week building up to the competition, 103,511 new accounts were created on licensed Belgian betting sites, with a daily average player count of 191,434.
A total of 497,047 individuals placed bets online during the whole of Euro 2020, with almost six million bets placed.
The BGC highlighted data which showed Belgian players were “significantly” more likely to be active online and betting during matches that involved the Belgian national team.
During Belgium’s win over Russia, 190,453 active players were online, rising to 220,211 players during the clash with Denmark, reaching a high of 281,923 during Belgium’s final group game with Finland.
Active player accounts narrowed during the latter stages of the tournament, with 198,968 registered during Belgium’s second round match with Portugal, falling to 196,320 for the Red Devils’ quarter-final game with Italy.
Despite Belgium’s exit from the competition, active player accounts remained high during the semi-finals at 239,348 during Italy’s match against Spain and 186,707 during England versus Denmark.
A total of 213,907 active players were online during the final match between England and Italy.
The BGC confirmed that betting and active player levels returned to normal after the tournament, with only 337 new players placing bets between 12 July and 25 July and only 107,849 active players per day.
In the run up to the tournament, the BGC, in collaboration with Belgian trade association BAGO, launched the “Stop on time!” campaign with the tagline “Don’t lose your head if you play! Stop gambling in time!”.
Hailing the “unprecedented visibility” of the campaign during Euro 2020, the BGC revealed that 65% of Flemish-speaking Belgian players in the target group (aged 15+) had viewed the campaign, rising to 72% among French-speaking Belgians.
BGC chairman Magali Clavie highlighted the report as illustrating the “great attraction” of Belgian players to sports betting, particularly during the tournament.
“Therefore, it is extremely important to constantly and clearly emphasise the message of responsible gambling,” Clavie explained.
“Gambling must always remain purely recreational and dangerous addictions should not be given a chance,” she added.