Message 001
Communication from the Commission - TRIS/(2023) 1365
Directive (EU) 2015/1535
Notification: 2023/0242/BE
Notification of a draft text from a Member State
Notification – Notification – Notifzierung – Нотификация – Oznámení – Notifikation – Γνωστοποίηση – Notificación – Teavitamine – Ilmoitus – Obavijest – Bejelentés – Notifica – Pranešimas – Paziņojums – Notifika – Kennisgeving – Zawiadomienie – Notificação – Notificare – Oznámenie – Obvestilo – Anmälan – Fógra a thabhairt
Does not open the delays - N'ouvre pas de délai - Kein Fristbeginn - Не се предвижда период на прекъсване - Nezahajuje prodlení - Fristerne indledes ikke - Καμμία έναρξη προθεσμίας - No abre el plazo - Viivituste perioodi ei avata - Määräaika ei ala tästä - Ne otvara razdoblje kašnjenja - Nem nyitja meg a késéseket - Non fa decorrere la mora - Atidėjimai nepradedami - Atlikšanas laikposms nesākas - Ma jiftaħx il-perijodi ta’ dewmien - Geen termijnbegin - Nie otwiera opóźnień - Não inicia o prazo - Nu deschide perioadele de stagnare - Nezačína oneskorenia - Ne uvaja zamud - Inleder ingen frist - Ní osclaíonn sé na moilleanna
MSG: 20231365.EN
1. MSG 001 IND 2023 0242 BE EN 17-05-2023 BE NOTIF
2. Belgium
3A. SPF Economie, PME, Classes moyennes et Energie
Direction générale Qualité et Sécurité - Service Normalisation et Compétitivité - BELNotif
NG III – 2ème étage
Boulevard du Roi Albert II, 16
B - 1000 Bruxelles
be.belnotif@economie.fgov.be
3B. Chambre des représentants
Mme Eliane Tilleux, présidente
1008 Bruxelles
comm.just@lachambre.be
4. 2023/0242/BE - H10 - Games of chance
5. Proposal for a law amending the Act of 7 May 1999 on gambling, betting, gambling establishments and the protection of players
6. Gambling and betting operated in the real world and using Information Society tools.
7.
8. The articles covered by the notification are Articles 4 and 7 of the proposed law.
Article 4 concerns the prohibition of the cumulation of several additional licenses of separate classes transiting through Information Society tools and using the same domain name and associated URLs. It is forbidden to redirect players to games of chance run under another license. It is forbidden to use the same player account to participate in games of chance that are operated under different licenses. It is also forbidden to make transactions between different player accounts.
Article 7 prohibits gambling advertising, except in cases expressly authorised by the King, by decree deliberated in the Council of Ministers. ‘Advertising’ means any form of communication which directly or indirectly aims to promote or encourage gambling, irrespective of the place, the means of communication used or the techniques used. Affixing the trademark or logo, or both, is also considered advertising.
9. Article 4: The purpose of the ban on cumulation is to bring the players back down to earth and prevent them from moving from one class of games of chance (such as Class I, which has a particularly high degree of danger) to another (such as Class II, which has a slightly lower degree of danger) without being aware of doing so. The ban on cumulation also implies that a player cannot be redirected to games of chance of a different nature, i.e. games of chance that are covered by another license, or to lottery games, nor can a player be shown them. Moreover, in its judgment No 114/2021, the Constitutional Court confirmed once more that the same license holder was prohibited from cumulating ‘several additional licenses of separate classes for operating games of chance and taking bets via a single domain name and associated URLs’.
Article 7: Gambling advertising is ubiquitous on television, radio, social media and the streets. Such advertising is not without danger to public health and society. Advertising normalises gambling in society. Through advertising, gambling is presented as socially and culturally acceptable behaviour and as a legitimate leisure activity. This is detrimental to more vulnerable groups such as minors, young people and gambling addicts. In the absence of a rule at European Union level, Member States are free to lay down the rules in this area.
Article 7 aims to strengthen player protection in order to prevent them from being systematically shown gambling advertisements. It is also based on the Belgian channelling policy. Under Article 61 of the current Gambling Act, the King can already specify the conditions for gambling advertisements. Nevertheless, for reasons of legal certainty, it is important to include the prohibition of gambling advertisements in the Gambling Act and to allow the King to provide for certain exceptions to this prohibition. Only in this way is it possible to phase out gambling advertisements.
10. References to basic texts:
B-2023-0242-FR-01
B-2023-0242-NL-01
B-2023-0242-FR-02
B-2023-0242-NL-02
11. No
12.
13. No
14. No
15. No
16.
TBT aspects: No
SPS aspects: No
**********
European Commission
Contact point Directive (EU) 2015/1535
email: grow-dir2015-1535-central@ec.europa.eu
