Belgium’s restrictive new online gambling rules appear set to become law as the European Commission’s standstill period comes to a close.

Last October, Belgian legislators approved plans to impose significant new curbs on online gambling operators, including a near-total ban on gambling advertising and a virtual prohibition of affiliate marketing activity.

The legislation’s mandatory three-month standstill period is set to expire on Thursday (18). The new rules (viewable in full here) will take effect eight months after the government publishes the decree in the Belgian Official Gazette.

Under the new regime, online casino operators will essentially be limited to promoting their wares via their own websites or via “personalized advertising,” which the regulator reportedly intends as a reference to email and SMS promos to existing customers. Belgian-facing affiliates view these restrictions as an effective death sentence for their sector.