Belgian Gaming Commission launches “Always Play Legally” campaign

The campaign will run from today (26 April) until the beginning of the UEFA Euro 2021 tournament on 11 June.

The regulator said the aim of the campaign is to educate consumers on the difference between legal and illegal online gambling.

In order to raise awareness of which operators are licensed in Belgium, the Always Play Legally logo will be used by operators who have received written permission to do so from the Commission.

The regulator said that an estimated 20% of gaming customers in Belgium end up playing with unlicensed rather than licensed operators, which are not subject to regular checks by the commission.

The dangers of playing with unlicensed operators are “colossal”, the regulator said, as the sites have no player protection measures and there is no guarantee that winnings will be paid out.

It added that players are not always aware of the risks they are running by using unlicensed operators, and that sometimes it is not clear to them whether or not the site they are using is legal.

In addition to the use of the Always Play Legally logo, the campaign will feature a number of video clips providing answers to common questions players may have about the difference between licensed and unlicensed operators, including the risks of playing with the latter.

The CJH said that new clips will be released every week until the beginning of the UEFA Euro 2021.

Last month, the regulator signed a Memorandum of Understanding with its Dutch counterpart, the Kansspelautoriteit, in an agreement which will see the two regulators work together closely on causes including player protection and combatting illegal gambling.

In February, Belgium passed a royal decree reducing the maximum number of online sports betting licensees permitted in the jurisdiction from 34 to 31.