A Belgian gambling trade association has warned that social media is driving young men – many under the recently changed legal gaming age – towards unlicensed operators.
Research by the Belgian Association of Gaming Operators (BAGO) has found that almost half of the men between 18 and 21 surveyed were already active on illegal sites before Belgium’s legal gambling age changed from 18 to 21 in September.
Twenty-nine per cent of men aged 18 to 21 named an illegal gaming site when asked to name the first brand that came to mind, the BAGO said.
What’s more, 31 per cent of those playing with unlicensed operators said they came across the brand(s) in question via social media.
“The high recognisability of illegal gambling operators among young men between 18 and 21 years old is mainly due to the persuasive power of social media,” said BAGO chairman Emmanuel Mewissen.
“You only have to open your social media app and you are overwhelmed by advertisements from illegal gambling sites. These unlicensed gambling brands have a dominant presence on these channels that are especially popular among young people.”
A further 26 per cent of those using illegal gaming sites credited sports sponsorship as their pathway into using the brand, with the Belgian Gaming Commission already cracking down on sports sponsorship.
The BAGO research, conducted shortly before the change in the legal gaming age, found that 85 per cent of young people recognise an unlicensed gaming site when presented with a list of brands, compared to 15 per cent for licensed operators.
