Belgium’s Gaming Commission has warned gambling operators that advertising and promotional restrictions will remain fully enforced during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as regulators prepare for an expected increase in football betting activity.
The tournament runs from June 11th to July 19th, creating one of the busiest global betting periods of the year. Belgium’s regulator, the Kansspelcommissie, says it will strictly monitor the market for unauthorised practices during the tournament, with a particular focus on bonuses, advertising campaigns and football-related sponsorship activity. The Commission highlighted Articles 60 & 61 of the country’s Gambling Act, governing inducements and advertising restrictions.
Under Article 60, operators are prohibited from offering bonuses or incentives designed to influence player behaviour or encourage gambling participation. The restriction covers free bets, cashback offers, loyalty rewards, gaming credits and retention campaigns. The regulator also warned that promotions linked to engagement or time-sensitive activity could breach the law.
Article 61 places wider limits on gambling advertising unless specific exceptions apply under Belgium’s Royal Decree on gambling marketing. The Commission said the World Cup does not change those obligations, despite commercial pressure operators may face to attract new customers during the tournament.
Belgium operates one of Europe’s more restrictive gambling advertising regimes. Since January 2025, gambling logos have been banned from the front of sports shirts. Authorities have also limited gambling branding inside sports venues and reduced the visibility of betting promotion linked to sport.
The Commission also warned operators against attempting to bypass restrictions through affiliated fan pages or informational websites connected to betting brands. The regulator said such channels may still be considered gambling advertising under Belgian law.
Social media activity will also remain under scrutiny. Sponsored gambling promotions on social platforms are heavily restricted, while interactive features such as likes, comments and shares must be disabled where technically possible. Operators have also been warned not to use calls to action encouraging users to engage with gambling-related content online.
Belgium’s warning mirrors a wider European regulatory focus ahead of the World Cup. The Dutch Gambling Authority has also said it will intensify monitoring during the tournament, after betting activity increased during the 2022 World Cup and the 2024 European Championship.
The Belgian regulator also pointed to research from Sciensano on gambling behaviour in the country. The study found that 2.6% of Belgian players currently display risky gambling behaviour, while 0.6% are considered at high risk of problem gambling. It also found that 52.2% of the Belgian population is exposed to at least one form of gambling advertising each week.
Major football tournaments remain valuable acquisition opportunities for betting companies, but regulators are increasingly unwilling to allow event-driven marketing to override advertising, sponsorship and responsible gambling controls.
