New legislation would require customers to register multiple accounts with an operator for different forms of iGaming, such as online casino and sports betting.
This proposal comes off the back of several amendments to Belgium’s Gambling Act that were put forward in 2019.
While the original amendments would have permitted players to use a single account when accessing different offerings, this new proposal looks to ban the practice.
In response, BAGO decried the move, arguing that it would, among other things, impede operators’ ability to safeguard consumers.
In a LinkedIn post, the organisation listed four key reasons for its disapproval. BAGO stated: “The player loses the overview of his expenses.
“Operators lose a holistic view of players’ gambling behaviour, making it more difficult to detect problematic behaviour and the ability to warn and advise affected players.
“Sharing consolidated data on problem gambling behaviours with government and academics is made more difficult, which prevents the development of new perspectives and future policies.
“For reasons of ease of play, customers go to illegal operators, who by definition do not respect the rules and therefore do not offer protection.”
In conclusion, the organisation said: “BAGO therefore advocates for the maintenance of unified player accounts by operator in order to offer greater, better and substantiated player protection.”