Why does the advertising ban not apply to the National Lottery?  

In recent years, Belgium has significantly tightened the rules on gambling advertising. Private gambling operators have faced far-reaching restrictions on marketing, sponsorship and visibility. The measures were intended to help reduce the normalisation of gambling and improve consumer protection.  

But one player remained largely unscathed: the National Lottery.  

It is precisely this exceptional status that is now under fire in the new GAMSPON report by researchers from Ghent University and Sciensano. According to the researchers, the National Lottery plays a significant role in the normalisation of gambling, whilst at the same time not being subject to the same advertising restrictions as private operators.  

Two sets of rules  

The current Belgian system makes a clear distinction between the National Lottery and private gambling companies.  

Since 2023, licensed private operators have been subject to a general ban on gambling advertising, with only a limited number of exceptions. The National Lottery, however, falls under a separate legal framework for its lottery and scratch card products. As a result, different advertising rules apply to it.  

According to the researchers, this leads to a striking situation.  

Whilst the government is attempting to reduce the visibility of commercial gambling brands, advertising campaigns for lottery products remain prominent on the high street, on television and via other media channels.  

A significant source of normalisation  

The researchers’ criticism goes beyond regulation alone.  

The report explicitly names the National Lottery as a factor that may contribute to the normalisation of gambling. In this regard, the researchers point not only to the visibility of lottery products, but also to the way in which the National Lottery positions itself.  

According to the report, the emphasis is often placed on support for sport, culture, charities and social projects. The researchers argue that this creates a more positive social image of gambling products than is the case with private providers.  

It is precisely this, they argue, that makes its exceptional status difficult to defend.  

Are lotteries really less risky?  

A key argument in favour of this exceptional status is that lottery and scratch card products are traditionally regarded as less risky than, for example, online casinos or sports betting.  

However, the researchers question this. 

According to the report, the National Lottery’s product range is increasingly shifting towards digital products whose user experience is becoming ever more similar to that of other online gambling products. In particular, they argue that online versions of lotteries and scratch cards deserve special attention.  

The researchers therefore argue that further research is needed into the actual risk profile of these products.  

Constitutional Court puts pressure on the government  

The debate is no longer confined to academic circles.  

The GAMSPON report refers to a ruling by the Constitutional Court from December 2025. According to the Court, the difference in treatment between the National Lottery and private operators can no longer be justified as a matter of course. In the long term, the same rules should apply to all providers.  

That ruling could have significant consequences for future regulations on advertising.  

An uncomfortable question  

The debate touches on a fundamental question within Belgian gambling policy.  

If, according to researchers, gambling advertising contributes to the normalisation of gambling, why should those concerns apply only to private providers?  

Or to put it another way:  

Why should an advertising ban apply to casinos and bookmakers, but not to the National Lottery?  

That is precisely the question that the GAMSPON report raises once again.  

And it is a question that policymakers are likely to find increasingly difficult to ignore in the coming years.