Zona de Azar Belgium – BAGO Urges Increasing the Age for Betting in Belgium
Belgium.- September 25, 2024 www.zonadeazar.com BAGO, the organisation representing private gambling operators in Belgium, has called for the minimum age for participating in lottery games to be raised to 21.
The proposal comes despite a recent 2023 report by the Centre of Expertise on Alcohol and Other Drugs, which showed a drop in youth participation rates in gambling.
The study analysed the behaviour of young Belgians, defined as those aged 21 and under, in relation to gambling, drug and alcohol use, as well as time spent on social networks during the period 2022-23.
The results indicate a continued decline in gambling participation rates among young people, with scratch cards being the most popular form of gambling, followed by sports betting and lotteries.
Falling participation rates
According to the report, the rate of young people playing scratch cards was 9.7 per cent in 2022-23, the lowest ever recorded. Participation in lotteries also fell, with only 5.3 per cent of young people reporting having played, while poker had a rate of just 2.3 per cent.
Sports betting, although still popular, also fell slightly, from 12.5 per cent in 2022 to 12.4 per cent in 2023. Casino games, meanwhile, fell from 5.5 per cent to 5.3 per cent in the same period.
Despite this decrease, BAGO believes that the participation rate among young people is still worrying, especially in the case of the lottery. The organisation considers it inappropriate that the minimum age for participating in lottery games remains 18, while other forms of gambling require participants to be 21.
Another relevant point in the report was the confusion among young people about the minimum age allowed to participate in betting games in Belgium. Only 77.6 per cent of respondents knew that the minimum age to buy and play scratch cards was 18. On 1 September 2023, Belgium raised the minimum age to 21 for all gambling activities except the national lottery.
BAGO took a stand against this exception, stating: ‘We consider it illogical that the increase in the minimum age to 21 does not apply to all National Lottery products and therefore request equal protection for young people.’
The organisation also stressed that, in addition to control and equal treatment, prevention is essential to keep young people away from gambling.
Gender and behavioural differences related to gambling in Belgium
The report also pointed out differences in behaviour between men and women. In general, men showed greater participation in sports betting, poker, lotteries and casino games.
However, women outnumbered men in terms of participation in scratch card games. In the last year, 9.8 per cent of young women reported having played scratch cards, compared to 9.6 per cent of men.
In the long term, 29 per cent of young women said they had played scratch cards at some point in their lives, while 25.4 per cent of young men reported the same. On the other hand, sports betting was more popular among men, with 16.6 per cent of them reporting having placed a bet, compared to just 8.0 per cent of women.
An alarming fact revealed by the study was the rate of underage participation in scratch card games.
Around 10.1 per cent of young people aged between 12 and 14 reported having played scratch cards in the last year, a rate higher than that observed in older age groups.
When asked if they had played scratch cards at some point in their lives, this figure rose to 27.9 per cent. This data reinforces the need for stricter preventive measures.
The aim is to protect young people, especially minors, from getting involved in gambling activities. BAGO continues to advocate raising the minimum age to 21 for all forms of gambling, including the national lottery.
Editó: @pererarte www.zonadeazar.com
