Despite the survey findings, it appears that a majority of young adults residing in Belgium exhibit a preference for legitimate gambling platforms.
In a recent survey by the Belgian Gaming Commission, it was found that a vast majority of young adults aged 18 to 30 in Europe use licensed gambling websites. The study's findings will play a key role in the development of strategies to reduce illegal gambling and promote responsible gaming among this demographic.
The survey, conducted by DataSynergy and based on responses from 1,000 participants, found that legal sites are significantly more recognisable. A staggering 94% of respondents were able to name at least one licensed operator, compared to 61% for unlicensed brands. This suggests that regulatory efforts to increase transparency and visibility of licensed operators are bearing fruit.
However, the insights come amid growing concern over youth exposure to gambling. Despite advertising restrictions, 53% of participants reported gambling at least once since September 2024, and 28% of young adults still access illegal platforms. This highlights the need for more stringent measures to curb illegal gambling access.
Europe employs a combination of regulatory frameworks, enforcement strategies, and technology-driven compliance measures to address this issue. Key strategies include strict age verification and Know Your Customer (KYC)/Anti-Money Laundering (AML) compliance, national enforcement and regulatory oversight, legislative measures raising the legal gambling age, cross-border and EU-level cooperation, and tight control of crypto gambling.
Gambling operators are required by EU and national regulations to verify the identity and age of players before allowing access. This often involves government ID checks, biometric verification, and continuous monitoring to prevent underage gambling. Enhanced Due Diligence is applied especially in high-risk cases such as large transactions or suspicious activity.
Authorities like the Swedish Gambling Inspectorate have dedicated budgets and operational frameworks for 2025 that prioritise inspections, monitoring online and land-based gambling, and enforcing compliance, including targeting youth access and illegal operators. Some countries, like Lithuania, have recently raised the minimum gambling age from 18 to 21 and mandated financial institutions to block payments to unlicensed operators.
The European Casino Association calls for stronger enforcement through enhanced cooperation between member states and with EU institutions to address illegal cross-border gambling operators that circumvent national laws. Many European countries restrict or ban cryptocurrency gambling to prevent anonymous payments that can facilitate illegal and underage gambling.
Peer influence plays a major role in the choice of gambling platforms, with 32% of participants choosing platforms based on friends' recommendations. Social media ads and sports sponsorships were less influential, with 15% and 12% of participants respectively citing them as reasons for their choice of gambling platform.
The study's findings will contribute to the creation of strategies to address gambling behaviours in younger populations. The initiative mirrors recent moves elsewhere, such as the NFL's $600,000 research donation, to better understand and address gambling behaviours in younger populations. Regulators across Europe and beyond are introducing tighter restrictions and awareness campaigns.
The study's findings will help shape future policy and public education strategies aimed at curbing illegal gambling access. The findings will also aid in the development of strategies to promote responsible gaming and will play a key role in the shaping of policies aimed at younger demographics. These strategies represent a comprehensive risk-based approach combining preventative measures, active supervision, and multinational collaboration to shield younger demographics from illegal gambling exposure in Europe.
- The survey findings may influence education-and-self-development programs to educate young adults on the risks of gambling and the importance of responsible gaming.
- Career-development in casino-and-gambling industry might see more emphasis on policies that enforce age verification and prevent underage gambling, to adhere to general-news trends and regulatory frameworks.
- Gambling-trends indicate a need for policy-and-legislation changes to prohibit or limit casino-games and lotteries through advertisements, especially those reaching younger demographics.
- Politics in the EU will likely involve discussions on casino-personalities and their impact on gambling trends, as well as strategies to reduce illegal gambling access.
- As gambling-trends evolve, with cryptocurrencies increasingly used in online gambling, policy-and-legislation may focus on regulating these transactions to prevent anonymous payments facilitating illegal gambling.
