60% of gambling traffic illegal in Belgium despite strict rules
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4 Sep 2024 •
Reading time: 2 minutes No fewer than 16 of the 25 most visited gambling sites in Belgium are illegal and operate outside the law. This shocking finding comes from a new study. And shows the scale of the problem of illegal gambling practices in Belgium. This despite the recent changes in the law to regulate the gambling industry more strictly.
Illegal operators do not comply with Belgian rules
The study shows that illegal gambling sites have a significant share of the Belgian market. According to the Israeli company Yield Sec, which specializes in detecting gambling sites using advanced technology, there are a total of 2,214 illegal gambling sites. These are accessible to Belgian players.
During the months of May and June, a period in which major sporting events such as the European Football Championship and the Tour de France took place, it became clear how active these illegal websites are And play on the interest of sports fans.
These sites use clever tactics, such as redirecting users via social media, blogs and other websites that actively promote illegal gambling providers. In this way, they circumvent the usual controls and increase their reach among Belgian players, without adhering to the legislation that is supposed to combat gambling addiction.
60% of gambling traffic in Belgium is claimed by illegal gambling sites
The findings of Yield Sec are alarming: of the 25 most visited gambling sites in Belgium, 16 are operated by illegal providers. These sites claim 60% of the total online gambling traffic in Belgium. The largest players include Stake.com, which is known worldwide and even sponsors a Formula 1 team.
Bet on Red and Spinsbro take third and fifth place respectively in Belgian gambling traffic. Unibet, one of the first legal operators, is in second place. Followed by the National Lottery and Napoleon Games.
These figures show that the illegal gambling market poses a serious threat to the regulated gambling industry in Belgium. The impact of these sites extends beyond the gambling market. They also pose huge risks to players, who are exposed to these unregulated platforms without any protection against gambling addiction.