National Lottery: trends in gambling are causing concern and prompting calls for greater protection 

The National Lottery is calling for better regulation of the gambling market in Belgium. Drawing on the Gaming Commission’s 2025 report, it believes that stakes, frequency of play and risky behaviour must be given greater consideration in order to protect players. 

Stakes totalling 36.3 billion euros 

The Belgian gambling market continues to grow at a steady pace. According to the Gaming Commission’s 2025 report, published on 16 September, stakes recorded in casinos, slot machine halls and betting outlets rose by 7.8 per cent over the course of a year. 

They now total 36.3 billion euros. 

This figure is of particular concern to the National Lottery. The public operator believes that market analysis cannot be limited to the revenue generated by gaming. To truly understand players’ exposure, it is also necessary to examine the amount staked, the frequency of betting and the intensity with which people gamble. 

Fewer new players, but daily activity remains strong 

The report highlights a trend that may seem contradictory. The number of new players registering on online betting sites fell by 43 per cent in 2025. 

However, activity amongst players already using these platforms remains high. The average number of active players each day rose by a further 3 per cent, reaching 160,144 people. 

For the National Lottery, these figures show that the decline in the number of new registrations does not necessarily mean a reduction in the intensity of online gambling. It is therefore calling for a more in-depth analysis of the market and players’ behaviour. 

Voluntary gambling bans are rising sharply 

Another striking indicator is that more and more people are asking to be excluded from gambling. 

The number of players imposing a ban on themselves through the Gaming Commission has risen by 19 per cent in one year. This represents an additional 10,500 people. 

People aged between 21 and 39 make up the largest age group among these requests. 

Potential winnings that can make gambling more attractive 

Whilst stakes are rising, gross gaming revenue remains broadly stable across the market as a whole. However, it has risen by 3 per cent in casinos, slot machine halls and betting outlets. 

The National Lottery also draws attention to the increase in average payout rates to players. For the public operator, this trend demonstrates that gross gaming revenue is not sufficient to assess risks. A game may generate significant volumes of stakes and very frequent play without this reality being fully reflected in this indicator. 

Should each game be assessed according to its level of risk? 

The National Lottery believes that not all games of chance present the same level of risk. 

It therefore calls for the widespread adoption of an independent indicator that would allow different types of games to be compared. Such a measure could be used to tailor the rules governing advertising, accessibility and prevention more precisely. 

Better identification of concerning behaviour 

The detection of risky behaviour is also one of the priorities highlighted. 

According to the National Lottery, operators should be able to quickly identify warning signs in players’ behaviour and intervene effectively. 

It should also be possible to monitor these interventions. This, it argues, requires the Gaming Commission to have the necessary resources to verify the measures put in place by operators. 

More data to understand market trends 

The National Lottery emphasises the need to continue collecting and publishing comprehensive data that is comparable over time. 

In particular, it considers it essential to regularly monitor the total amount staked, the number of active players, the frequency of play and the intensity of play. This information would enable a better assessment of players’ actual exposure and allow protection measures to be tailored accordingly. 

The operator also states that it is in favour of producing a comprehensive report on player protection in Belgium and affirms that it is ready to contribute to this initiative. 

Five priorities highlighted 

Based on the report’s conclusions, the National Lottery has identified five areas for action: better measuring exposure to gambling, tailoring protection to the specific risks of each product, improving the detection of problematic behaviour, enhancing data quality, and providing the Gaming Commission with greater resources.