Gambling companies go to court: battle over gambling rules
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19 Sep 2024 •
Reading time: 3 minutes Several gambling companies in Belgium are not happy with the new gambling law and are therefore going to the Constitutional Court. They believe that the law is too strict and restricts their business. The law, which is intended to better protect players, is mainly causing a lot of frustration among gambling companies. It revolves around advertising restrictions, age limits and other strict rules that they believe go way too far.
What exactly has changed with the new gambling law?
A new law has been in force since 1 September 2024, the so-called Van Hecke law. The law is named after the Green MP Stefaan Van Hecke, who proposed these measures. The idea behind the law is simple: protect players. But the way in which this is done is hitting gambling companies hard. For example, there is now an almost total ban on gambling advertisements. Gambling companies are also no longer allowed to offer bets and casino games on the same website, which was previously possible.
In addition, the law has raised the minimum age for all forms of gambling to 21. This means that young gamblers under the age of 21 are no longer allowed to participate, except in the National Lottery. For many companies, this increase in the age is a major challenge, because they are losing part of their audience.
Why are gambling companies upset?
The new rules are a major blow for many gambling companies. They suddenly have to stop advertising, and combining different forms of gambling on one platform is no longer allowed. This results in less income, and they are of course not happy about that.
Emmanuel Mewissen, CEO of the Ardent Group, is one of the people who speaks out against the new law. The fact that the National Lottery retains a lot of freedom in particular frustrates him.
“We think that the restrictions go far too far and violate our rights. Why are we being targeted, while the Lottery is allowed to continue as usual?”
Emmanuel Mewissen, CEO of the Ardent Group
Gambling companies have now filed six different complaints with the Constitutional Court. They want parts of the law to be reversed, because they feel that their rights are being violated and that the law treats them unfairly.
“They are afraid of losing money”
According to Stefaan Van Hecke, the man behind the law, it is mainly about money for the gambling companies. “Every time new rules are introduced that affect their business, they go to court,” he says. He believes that the gambling companies are more concerned about their income than about protecting the players.
“They are afraid that they are going to lose a lot of money because of the new rules. But we must put the interests of the player first, not those of the companies.”
Van Hecke emphasizes that the law is not only there to restrict the gambling sector, but above all to protect vulnerable players. According to him, young people in particular should be less tempted to gamble.
“This is not an attack on the companies, but a way to protect people.”
What does this mean for the future?
The case is now before the Constitutional Court, and it may take some time before a decision is made. If the Court upholds the companies’ complaints, it could mean that certain parts of the law will have to be amended or even scrapped. This could have major consequences for the way the gambling market looks in Belgium.
In the meantime, the Gaming Commission will continue to monitor compliance with the new rules. They want to ensure that the law is implemented correctly, so that players are better protected against gambling addiction and other risks.