Lotto Soudal risk loosing 37-year old sponsorship as Belgium tightens restrictions on gambling advertising, several teams affected

Belgian Minister of Justice Vincent Van Quickenborne is a key figure in the Belgian cycling scene currently, as he is the spokesperson for a law that may be aproved, which may have as a consequence the cut of sponsorships within cycling. 

Van Quickenborne has affirmed that “since the start of the corona crisis, the number of young people who gamble has increased by 43 percent. And no less than 40 percent of the profits that gambling companies make come from people with addictions. There is a lot of suffering behind those numbers." That comes as the justification behind the goal of prohibiting advertising of gambling sites, which happen to be a part of the sponsorship group of Belgian professional teams.

Although a decree is yet to be fully aproved, that is expected to happen soon. The measure would not have immediate effect, but in the coming years gambling brands will likely not be allowed to have their brand displayed in the way they currently do.

All three Belgian World Tour teams [Lotto Soudal; Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team and Intermarché - Wanty - Gobert Matériaux] have partnerships with gambling sites, however Lotto Soudal - besides having the UCI points issue in deep problems - could loose their main team sponsor Lotto; which has been with the team since 1985. Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB would also be at risk, whilst Cyclocross teams Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal and Team 777 would also loose out on this situation.