Gambling: requests for help surge in Belgium
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12 Oct 2026 •
Reading time: 2 minutes
In Belgium, one of the support websites for people facing gambling-related problems recorded nearly 30,000 visits in July 2026. The exceptional level of traffic coincided with a period packed with major sporting events.
Nearly 30,000 visits in just one month
The website gokhulp.be, which provides information and support to people experiencing gambling-related difficulties, saw a sharp increase in traffic during the summer of 2026.
According to figures revealed following a parliamentary question by Flemish MP Freya Perdaens, nearly 30,000 visits were recorded in July. That figure was more than double the number seen in June 2026 and almost three times the level recorded in July 2025.
Do major sporting events encourage riskier betting?
Major sporting events are traditionally associated with an increase in betting activity. However, this rise in wagering can also increase the risk of problematic gambling behaviour.
For Freya Perdaens, the exceptional increase recorded in July highlights the need to raise greater awareness of the risks of gambling during periods when sporting competitions are particularly numerous. One of the key challenges is to make support services more visible to people who begin to realise that their gambling is no longer simply a form of entertainment.
An even bigger increase than during the 2022 World Cup
According to the Flemish MP, a similar trend had already been observed during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, a period when sports betting also attracted significant interest. However, the increase seen during the summer of 2026 is said to have been even greater.
This comparison highlights the observed link between major sporting competitions and the search for information about gambling-related risks. Traffic statistics alone, however, do not make it possible to determine how many visitors are actually suffering from gambling addiction.
An encouraging sign for prevention
Despite concerns about excessive gambling behaviour, Freya Perdaens also sees a positive side to these figures.
The increase in visits suggests that more people are now aware of the existence of support services and are looking for reliable information when they begin to question their gambling habits.
The exceptional traffic recorded in July therefore underlines the importance of keeping information about gambling risks easily accessible, particularly during periods when major sporting events stimulate betting activity.