Some entities predict that online gambling will experience a surge in the coming weeks due to lockdowns and stay-at-home orders. The European Gambling and Betting Association, however, states otherwise. They predict that there will be a marked reduction in the number of people gambling online due to the lockdowns imposed by governments because of the pandemic.
The reason why the EGBA is going against the more popular notion that people will gamble more during this lockdown is because of the statistics they see in Belgium. They say that pre-coronavirus online gambling levels have dropped by 38% in the country. The main reason for this, however, is not because people don’t log-in to gambling sites but rather because of the shutdown of sports betting portals due to the suspension of gaming events.
The drop in traffic to gambling sites in Belgium is due to the fact that around half of online gambling activities in the region are due to sports betting. With sporting events being cancelled indefinitely, people have stopped gambling for the meantime. Those who do want to gamble however have shifted to online casinos for their wagering needs.
Despite the prediction of the EGBA regarding the decrease in online gambling in the region, they are still encouraging operators to put in precautionary measures to help curtail problem gambling. They are encouraged to have responsible gambling tools and measures are easily available to customers who need them. They are also told that they have a social responsibility in these trying times to help ensure players are safe when they gamble, and that includes safety from addiction.