Exposure to gambling advertising and gambling behaviour in Belgium after the 2023 advertising ban

Abstract Gambling dependency can cause severe psychological, financial and social harm. Gambling advertising has shown to contribute to the normalisation of gambling. In July 2023, Belgium implemented a national ban on gambling advertising, prohibiting nearly all advertising forms. The impact of this ban remains uncertain. This study examines whether individuals in Belgium continued to report exposure to gambling advertising after the ban, and whether this exposure is associated with more frequent gambling. Cross-sectional data from the Health Interview Survey 2023-2024 were used. Participants aged 15 years and older reported on their exposure to gambling advertising in the past 6 months and on their offline and online gambling behaviour in the past 12 months. To isolate the period after the advertising ban, only data from January 2024 onwards were analysed (n = 3085). Logistic regression models were used to examine associations between gambling advertising exposure and gambling behaviour. After the advertising ban, still 68% of the Belgian population reported exposure to gambling advertising at least once in the past 6 months, with 52% reporting weekly exposure. 7% of the Belgian population reported to gamble offline on a weekly basis, 3% reported to play online weekly and 2% reported to play through both access channels weekly. Furthermore, people who are exposed to gambling advertisements weekly have twice as high odds for weekly offline gambling (OR (95% CI) = 1.94 (1.27;2.96), p < 0.002) and weekly online gambling (OR (95% CI) = 2.03 (1.13;3.66), p < 0.018) compared to those not exposed to gambling advertising. Potential explanations of the continued exposure to gambling advertising are the use of international channels for advertising, non-compliance by the industry or their exploitation of regulatory loopholes. The findings underscore the importance for continued enforcement and ongoing monitoring of the legal restrictions on gambling advertising in Belgium. Key messages • After the Belgian advertising ban, over 50% of people still see gambling advertisements weekly. • Frequent exposure to gambling advertisements doubles the odds of frequent offline and online gambling.