Ladbrokes and Unibet back new Belgian trade body
BAGO aims to educate lawmakers about the industry and stamp out black market
Ladbrokes and Unibet are among six founding members of the Belgian Association of Gaming Operators (BAGO), a new trade association for the country’s gambling sector.
The trade body’s members make up 70% of the Belgian regulated online and offline gaming market and also include Betfirst.be and Ardent Group.
According to a statement from the group, BAGO members consider it their “social responsibility” to hold an active dialogue with all stakeholders, to give government and citizens a better understanding of what the industry does and means.
The group said it has four main purposes: to play a leading role in the field of safe and responsible gaming; ensure the economic viability of the sector; ensure the attractiveness of regulated gambling as a barrier against illegal gambling; become a reliable partner for government and society.
The new body also called for regulators to permit a more diverse gaming offering to help kill off the black market.
BAGO said that nine out of 10 online customers in Belgium were playing in the regulated market, but that “additional efforts were required” to shut down the black market completely.
Gambling operators are currently required to partner with or run a land-based establishment, to provide their services to Belgium-based customers online.
BAGO also said it intends to offer better insight in the Belgian gaming market by supporting studies and market research, as well as drawing up their own advertising restrictions for the industry.