The Gaming Commission (GC) launches prevention campaigns on a regular basis.
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Qatar hosted the World Cup at the end of 2022. We know from experience that such big sporting events, especially big football tournaments, have a big impact on betting behaviour. We also see with betting that players think they know the game and can get better at it given the necessary training, or using a learning effect to predict the outcome. This is obviously not the case. Coincidence always has the upper hand in the outcome of a bet.
The GC therefore wanted to highlight the fact that thinking you can control the game is a dangerous illusion. It created a prevention campaign revolving around the Illusion of Control (Dutch or French). A clip was chosen that delivers this message in a playful way.
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On the occasion of EURO 2020, the GC wanted to emphasise that gambling should always remain a form of entertainment and that it is necessary to know how to stop gambling in time to avoid problems.
The information and prevention campaign Stop in time!, which was broadcast on television, on the internet and also on social networks throughout the football championship, was aimed at all players, whether they gamble sporadically or frequently.
It was set up with the support of BAGO (Belgian Association of Gaming Operators), an association of 5 operators in the private gambling sector in Belgium (casinos, gambling halls, cafés and betting, online and offline) which aims to offer a safe and controlled gambling offer.
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The fight against illegal gambling is a priority for the GC. Online gambling is attracting more and more people. Most players play on legal gambling sites. These sites are licensed by the GC and are audited regularly. Legal gambling sites have to follow various rules to protect the players.
Unfortunately, it is estimated that 20% of players end up on illegal sites. The risks involved are enormous. There are no protective measures on illegal gambling sites and players are not even guaranteed to be paid out for any winnings. Players are not always aware of the danger they are in and sometimes it is not even clear to them whether the gambling site they have chosen is legal or not.
Therefore, the GC launched the Always Play Legally campaign to inform, sensitise and prevent players. The campaign was directed against illegal gambling sites and was conducted by the GC in consultation with the online gambling sector licensed in Belgium. The campaign ran from 26 April 2021 to 11 June 2021 (start of EURO 2020).The Always Play Legally logo may only be used by legal gambling sites that have a licence from the GC.
- For the World Cup in 2018, a campaign was organised, based on the FC Losers. Indeed, during the 2018 World Cup, there was a huge increase in sports betting advertising.There was a significant chance that many young people would come into contact with sports betting, whether for the first time or not. In order to protect these vulnerable players, the GC launched a playful prevention campaign aimed at young people and their environment.The campaign had a clear message: gambling is not a sustainable source of income. The central theme was FC Losers, the only club you would rather not join. The campaign #FanOfLosing drew attention to the fact that the chances of winning in online gambling are so small that you almost have to enjoy losing to just blindly participate in the game.
- Bluf! was a campaign aimed at young people aged 14 to 18. Because although betting is only legal from the age of 18, and most games of chance only from the age of 21, it seems that many young people come into contact with them earlier.A film, an educational pack and an educational board game were developed for this campaign. The aim of the campaign is to reach as many young people as possible and make them aware that a game among friends can quickly deteriorate into a hopeless situation of debt and gambling addiction.A Bluf! prevention pack can be requested free of charge from the GC at info@gamingcommission.be.