Belgium introduces maximum capacity of 40 for land-based gaming

In addition, casinos, gambling halls and betting shops  must remain closed between 11:30pm and 6:00am, and upon arrival, customers must register their details for contact tracing.

The sale of food and drink onsite is prohibited, and customers are also obliged to wear masks, a rule which has been in effect in all public places in Belgium since July.

After closing in March in response to the pandemic, the nation’s betting shops began to reopen in June. Casinos followed shortly behind on 1 July, alongside a resumption of contact sports contests.

In April, the Belgian government offered advice to its citizens on how to protect themselves from problem gambling while under lockdown.

It encouraged those who were experiencing gambling-related harm to self-exclude themselves from online operators, and encouraged anyone concerned about their gambling to contact the ‘SOS Jeux’ helpline and speak to an advisor about their problems.

It offered the advice after claiming that during the period of lockdown, more people than usual may access igaming services, and potentially suffer gambling-related harm.