Local authorities can deny licenses to betting shops next to schools and hospitals, according to a ruling in Belgium. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

Belgian cities will be able to refuse licenses to betting shops located near schools, hospitals, and other municipal buildings after a new ruling.

The Council of State ruled that major Belgian cities Aalst, Antwerp, Genk, and Mechelen can reject licenses for gambling operators located next to institutions dealing with young people or other vulnerable groups.

A law permitting cities to refuse licenses on those grounds has been on the books in Belgum since 2019, which requires municipal authorities to approve the opening of new betting shops.

The Belgian Gambling Act states that betting shops cannot be located near schools, hospitals, or any other institutions dealing primarily with young people. However, the exact proximity was not defined in the law.

In five separate rulings, the rights of the municipal powers were upheld.

As a result, operators Derby, Gerardo, and Wedwinkel contested the rights of local authorities to deny them licenses for new shops. In five separate rulings, the rights of the municipal powers were upheld.

“We do not want any gambling advertising near schools,” said Zuhal Demir, a politician in the New Flemish Alliance party. “Young people are easily influenced, and gambling is a serious problem here in Genk. There are enough residents who struggle with a gambling addiction, and this type of advertising does not help.”

In Genk, no new licenses are being granted for betting shops at all, while in the city of Leuven, the local government has announced their intention to remove betting shops from the city altogether.