Belgian regulator launches licensed market education campaign
‘Always Play Legally’ will aim to funnel players to regulated operators and will run until start of rescheduled Euro 2020
Belgium’s Gaming Commission (BGC) has launched a new marketing campaign to stamp out illegal gambling sites operating in the country’s online gambling market.
The ‘Always Play Legally’ campaign will run from 26 April until 11 June, concluding with the start of the rearranged UEFA Euro 2020 football tournament.
It aims to educate consumers in Belgium about the difference between legal and illegal gambling sites and will feature a logo which can only be used on the websites of licensed operators.
A site has been launched to coincide with the campaign that will feature weekly updated video clips showcasing the differences between legal and illegal gambling sites and highlighting the specific risks of the latter.
The BGC has said that while most Belgians gamble on licensed sites, it estimates that 20% of players end up on illegal sites, which operate without the consumer protections afforded to their licensed counterparts.
“The risks associated with this are enormous,” said the BGC. “There are no protective measures on illegal gambling sites and players are not even guaranteed that they will receive their winnings.
“Players are not always aware of the danger they are running and sometimes it is not even clear to them whether the gambling site they have chosen is legal or not.
“That is why the Gaming Commission has launched the Always Play Legally campaign to inform, raise awareness and prevent players,” the BGC added.