Television program reveals: Belgian young people have access to gambling despite ban

The popular VTM television program ‘Ze zeggen dat’ (They say that) recently showed how easy it is for minors to gamble in Belgium. Despite the strict legal ban for people under the age of 18, research shows that young people can effortlessly gain access to scratch cards and slot machines.

Research by VTM: Scratch cards and slot machines for minors

In the latest episode of ‘They Say That’, presenters Andy Peelman and Dina Tersago test the accessibility of gambling for minors. Four teenagers, ranging in age from fourteen to fifteen years old, tried to buy scratch cards and gamble on machines. 

The results: in twelve of the sixteen newsagents visited, young people were able to gamble on slot machines without any problems. In addition, they managed to buy scratch cards in 20 of the 30 stores, with one teenager even buying seventy Win For Life tickets, worth 210 euros.

Response from the National Lottery

The National Lottery, a state-owned company, expressed its disappointment with these results. Despite intensive checks and practical tests since 2013 in which minors visit points of sale unannounced, the violation rate remains between 16 and 19 percent. The lottery emphasizes that new points of sale must undergo intensive training and that there are ongoing awareness campaigns through e-learning.

Addiction experts speak out

According to addiction expert Ronny Willemen, fortunately few minors in Belgium are addicted to gambling. However, many people in their twenties who seek help for gambling problems started gambling as teenagers. 

Willemen and psychiatrist Frieda Matthys, who together wrote the book “Gambling is not a game / On the road to recovery”, argue for stricter regulation of gambling activities by the National Lottery and a revision of the law.

Supreme Health Council and new proposals

The Supreme Health Council recently recommended a complete ban on gambling advertising, including that of the National Lottery. The Council also calls for an increase in the minimum age for gambling from 18 to 21 years and emphasizes the importance of better controls in newsagents including technology to check identity cards at slot machines.