In consultation with Belgian minister of finance Vincent van Peteghem, the Lottery agreed to halt ads on television, radio and in the written press for the duration of the tournament, which kicked off on 20 November and runs until 18 December.

As the minister responsible for the Lottery, van Peteghem said consumers are more likely to place a bet during a national football team competition such as World Cup, He referenced a study by the Commission into the 2018 World Cup, during which half of new registrations were first-time gamblers.

Van Peteghem added that as advertising would likely draw more new players to gambling, he made the decision, together with the Lottery, to pause sports betting ads in an effort to reduce the risk of gambling-related harm such as addiction.