The Belgian Gambling Commission (BGC) has launched a new marketing campaign to crack down on illegal gambling sites operating in the country's online gambling market.
The Always Play Legal campaign will run from April 26 to June 11, ending with the start of the new Euro 2020 football tournament.
It aims to educate consumers in Belgium about the difference between legal and illegal gambling sites and will feature a logo that can only be used on sites of licensed operators.
Simultaneously with the campaign, a website was launched that will be updated weekly with video clips demonstrating the differences between legal and illegal gambling sites and highlighting the latter's specific risks.
The BGC stated that while the majority of Belgians play on licensed sites, it estimates that 20% players end up on illegal sites that operate without the consumer protection afforded to their licensed counterparts.
“The associated risks are enormous,” the BGC said. “There are no safeguards on illegal gambling sites and players are not even guaranteed that they will receive their winnings.
“Players are not always aware of the danger they are exposed to and sometimes it is not even clear to them whether the gaming site they have chosen is legal or not.
"That's why the Gambling Commission has launched the 'Always Play Legal' campaign to inform, raise awareness and prevent gamblers," the BGC added.