Belgian gamblers bet record amount during sports summer 2024

This summer, Belgian gamblers made a big splash. From 14 June to 11 August, a record amount of no less than €427 million was wagered on sports bets. The European Football Championship stood head and shoulders above the rest, with no less than €266 million in bets.

The Olympic Games followed with €104 million. The number of new gamblers went through the roof, especially during the European Championship, according to the Gaming Commission in their new report “Sports Summer 2024 in figures”.

Football matches remain by far the favourite of Belgian gamblers

When we look at the figures, it is immediately noticeable that football is still the undisputed number one among sports gamblers in Belgium. Especially during major tournaments such as the European Championship, the bets flowed in. Around matches of the Red Devils, it was a real party: a third of the bets went to matches of our national team. It seems that Belgian gamblers are keen to support their team – and are willing to pay a lot of money for it.

Increase in new gambling accounts during Euro 2024

During the European Football Championship, from 14 June to 14 July, new

accounts at online gambling platforms skyrocketed. More than a thousand new Belgian players joined every day. Especially on 17 June, when Belgium played its first match, that number rose to 8,545 new accounts in one day. Compared to the 2022 World Cup, this is a slight decrease, but the popularity remains high.

Young gamblers remain the largest group

A large proportion of these new gamblers are young people between the ages of 18 and 29. According to the report, 57.19% of all new accounts during the European Championship fell into this age group. The number of active players also shot up: almost 197,000 gamblers were online every day. Around the Belgian matches, this even peaked at almost 270,000.

Fewer gamblers, but more money wagered

Although fewer people participated than at the 2022 World Cup, more money was wagered this summer. During the European Championship, a record amount of €266 million was gambled. This amounts to an average daily bet of over €8.5 million. There was also a lot of betting during the Olympic Games, with an average of €6 million per day. Apparently, Belgian gamblers are becoming increasingly comfortable with placing larger amounts.

The shift from physical to online gambling platforms

This summer it also became clear that more and more people are switching from physical betting shops to online gambling. However, physical locations such as betting shops and newsagents still see peaks during major events. The Gaming Commission has its hands full enforcing the rules for online gambling. According to them, gaps in the legislation sometimes make it difficult to keep a close eye on everything.

Gaming Commission launches campaign for risky gamblers

To warn people about the dangers of gambling too much, the Gaming Commission launched a new campaign, ‘Take a gambling break with EPIS’. They mainly focused on young people and other vulnerable groups. Thanks to this campaign, gamblers can register for a gambling break. Remarkably, there was no increase in the number of registrations for the EPIS register, even though the Red Devils played some exciting matches.

Checks on gambling advertisements and compliance with rules

The Gaming Commission kept a close eye on gambling advertisements and compliance with rules during the summer. They carried out 121 checks, both online and at physical gambling locations. In 48 cases, a violation was found. Some of these situations were resolved immediately, while in other cases stricter measures were required.

Illegal gambling sites remain a problem for the Gaming Commission

In addition to monitoring legal gambling platforms, the fight against illegal gambling sites remains a priority for the Gaming Commission. However, it is proving difficult to identify these illegal providers, because they often work with anonymous owners and misleading information. Despite this, they managed to blacklist 39 illegal gambling sites. According to the Gaming Commission, these fraudulent providers undermine the protection of players and mainly attract young people with aggressive marketing.

BAGO’s response to the figures: “Focus on responsible gambling”

Industry organisation BAGO sees the downward trend in new players as a sign that legal providers are paying more attention to responsible gambling. BAGO chairman Tom De Clerq said: “Our data shows that most players enjoyed themselves responsibly this summer.” BAGO also emphasises that they support the Gaming Commission in the fight against illegal gambling.