Belgium records 123% surge in online players for World Cup compared to 2018 tournament
Belgian regulator released figures around the winter World Cup which showed that 114,858 new accounts were created and the total staked online for the tournament was €217m
According to figures released by the Belgium Gaming Commission (GC), €217m (£192.09m) was wagered by Belgian bettors as the Red Devils reached the last 16 of 2022 World Cup tournament.
This represents a 6.4% increase on the €204m staked during the 2018 FIFA World Cup, in which the Belgian national team finished third.
However, the regulator did not have any data to show how the winter World Cup compared to 2021’s delayed UEFA Euro 2020 tournament.
The GC reported a huge increase in the average number of active online players per day for 2022 compared to 2018.
At the Qatar World Cup, data showed a 122.8% surge in daily online active players from 98,720 to 219,971.
However, the 2018 edition saw an average of 4,691 new online accounts created per day, compared to 4,691 new online accounts last year.
During the 2022 World Cup, there were 586,512 players across all online betting sites, with 43,122 of those being new online players. In total, 114,858 new accounts were made during the tournament as well.
On average, there were 219,971 active players, half of which were aged between 21 and 39, with less than 10% aged between 18 and 20.
The average stake value fell compared to the World Cup in Russia, with the average bet amount in 2022 coming in at €15.63 compared to €20.40 in 2018.
On the back of these results, the Belgian regulator stated: “These findings are reassuring, although it is impossible to predict the future behaviour of new gamblers. In any case, every effort should be made to ensure that betting remains a purely recreational activity and does not degenerate into gambling addiction.
“The Gaming Commission will continue its information and awareness campaigns in the future, especially for young people.”
While online fared well from the winter World Cup, land-based sports betting in Belgium saw a massive drop-off compared to 2018.
Land-based operators recorded total stakes of €61m fall of more than 50% compared to 2018. The regulator stated that this is due to the new EPIS system in betting shops, which was brought in a month before the World Cup kicked off.
EPIS is Belgium’s register of self-excluded players, which can deny access to land-based and online operators to those on the list.