EGBA Urges European Delegates to Back Safer Gambling Standard

The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) has asked delegates to support the adoption of a new European standard on markers of harm in online gambling. 

The Brussels-based trade group, which represents some of the EU’s largest online gambling operators, first proposed the measure to the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) in 2022. 

Voting closes on September 25 and will determine whether the proposal is approved. If it passes, the standard will establish a common framework for identifying risky gambling behavior and strengthening consumer protections across the continent. 

The Gambling Regulators European Forum (GREF), a network of Europe’s gambling watchdogs, backed the standard in February of this year, adding regulatory weight ahead of the CEN vote. 

EGBA Secretary General Maarten Haijer described the vote as a “…milestone moment for safer gambling in Europe.” The Secretary General went on to explain: “This initiative demonstrates precisely the kind of collaboration we need more of – bringing together stakeholders to share knowledge and experiences to create something for the common good.”

Why Does Europe Need This Standard?

As traditional casinos lose market share and online gambling surges in Europe, questions about how to identify problem gambling have taken center stage.

As it stands, the EU doesn’t have any agreed-upon list of behaviors that qualify as markers of harm in gambling. Instead, different regulators and operators come up with their own definitions, something that has made it difficult to compare data or apply consistent protections across countries.

If it’s approved, the new standard will change that, giving regulators and operators throughout the EU a single framework they can use to monitor gambling behavior. 

This unified set of behavioral indicators, which includes things like changes in the speed, time, and duration of play, will help operators identify problematic gambling habits.

The EGBA believes that having a uniform benchmark will allow operators to detect harm earlier and intervene more effectively.

What Does the Standard Do?

This standard didn’t come out of nowhere. Instead, the EGBA has been engaged in a multi-year collaboration with various stakeholders, including academics, gambling regulators, operators, and harm prevention professionals. These experts were brought on to ensure the markers were evidence-based and could be applied in different EU markets. 

Online gambling regulators are under no obligation to adopt the standard, as it is entirely voluntary, leaving it up to them to decide if it fits into the frameworks already in place in their respective countries.  

While countries will be free to adopt their own rules, the standard would make it much easier for them to work from the same playbook when addressing gambling-related harm.

What Happens Next?

Delegates from national standardization bodies must cast their votes by September 25. If they vote yes, the standard could be in place across Europe as early as 2026.