BAGO Urges Belgium to Raise National Lottery Age

BAGO Pushes for Belgium to Raise National Lottery Age Despite Decline in Youth Gambling

The Belgium Association of Gambling Operators (BAGO) is calling for the minimum age for National Lottery participation to be raised to 21, even though a recent study shows a slight decline in youth gambling participation.

The 2023 study by the Flemish Expertise Centre for Alcohol and Other Drugs highlighted a downward trend in gambling among young people aged 21 and below. Despite this, BAGO remains concerned about the number of young people still engaging in gambling, particularly through scratchcards and the National Lottery.

According to the report, scratchcard participation among young people dropped to 9.7% during 2022-2023, the lowest recorded rate. Similarly, lottery participation among this demographic reached an all-time low of 5.3%, while poker saw a record low of 2.3%. Although these numbers show improvements, BAGO believes more stringent regulations are needed to safeguard young people.

BAGO’s key concern is the disparity in age restrictions for different forms of gambling. On 1 September 2023, Belgium raised the legal gambling age to 21 for most gambling activities, yet the minimum age for the National Lottery remains 18. BAGO argues this inconsistency leaves young people vulnerable to the risks of gambling through seemingly benign games like the lottery.

BAGO stated: “We find it illogical that the increase in the minimum age to 21 years does not apply to all National Lottery products. We request equal protection for young people across all gambling verticals.”

The organization insists that along with age restrictions, prevention efforts are essential to curbing underage gambling. They emphasize the need for better controls, such as stricter age verification processes and increased education about the risks associated with gambling.

While the report shows a long-term decline in gambling participation among young people, scratchcards remain the most popular gambling activity for this demographic. 9.7% of young people said they had played scratchcards in the past year. The second most popular form was sports betting at 5.8%, followed by the lottery at 5.3%.

The report also uncovered concerning trends about underage gambling. Among children aged 12-14, 10.1% admitted to having played scratchcards in the past year, a higher participation rate than that of older age groups. When asked if they had ever played scratchcards, 27.9% of the youngest group said they had. This highlights a critical gap in enforcing age restrictions.

Gambling Habits by Gender: The study also examined the gender differences in gambling habits. In general, males were more likely to participate in most forms of gambling, including sports betting, poker, and casino games. Interestingly, females were slightly more likely to engage in scratchcard gaming, with 9.8% of females versus 9.6% of males reporting having played in the past year.

Long-term trends also showed that 29.0% of young females have played scratchcards at some point, compared to 25.4% of males. Sports betting was more popular among males, with 16.6% of young men having placed a bet, compared to 8.0% of young women.

Although youth gambling rates are on the decline in Belgium, BAGO believes that more needs to be done to protect younger players, particularly when it comes to the National Lottery. By raising the minimum gambling age to 21 for all gambling activities, including the lottery, Belgium can ensure a more consistent approach to responsible gambling and protect vulnerable groups from the potential risks of gambling. As the discussion around gambling regulations continues, it is clear that prevention, education, and regulation will play vital roles in shaping the future of gambling in Belgium.