The betting sector is regulated entirely by national policies

European Gaming and Betting Association asks European Commission to standardize gambling laws

"Only 14 EU countries have adopted a national self-exclusion register, and only 13 require 'no underage betting' signs on advertisements," EGBA secretary general Maarten Haijer said.
2019-07-23
Reading time 1:17 min
 EGBA secretary general Maarten Haijer said has said ‘it’s time for Brussels to bring countries together.’

Through an open later by Secretary general Maarten Haijer, the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) has urged the European Commission to develop a new standardized regulatory framework which will clarify gambling laws across Europe

Mr. Haijer explained that he felt "the cross-border online betting world is hamstrung by a patchwork of national rules," and pointed out that the current framework has resulted in players "experiencing varying levels of consumer protection when they bet online" and thus a standardized framework was needed.

He explained: "While some EU regulation, such as the GDPR and the Anti-Money Laundering Directive, do provide some regulatory basis, the betting sector is regulated entirely by national policies. Each EU state has its own set of rules and requirements. 

"They work in isolation from each other and without regard to the internet’s cross-border nature. The consequence: 28 very different sets of regulations and 28 different sets of customer experience.

"In an era where people can easily place a bet on websites based in other countries, the lack of policy consistency is problematic. It means people can easily be exposed to websites that don’t fully protect their rights or interests. 

"Only 14 EU countries have adopted a national self-exclusion register, and only 13 require 'no underage betting' signs on advertisements. These are simple measures proposed by the Commission, yet they haven’t been introduced in most European countries."

Haijer subsequently added that ‘formal regulatory cooperation is a necessary first step, followed by standardization and more common rules.’ 

"Making the single market work better for those citizens who bet online will require even higher standards than those applied to other online sectors," he said. "But leaving it up to EU countries alone has not worked, so the incoming European Commission needs to act."

Leave your comment
Subscribe to our newsletter
Enter your email to receive the latest news
By entering your email address, you agree to Yogonet's Condiciones de uso and Privacy Policies. You understand Yogonet may use your address to send updates and marketing emails. Use the Unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.
Unsubscribe
EVENTS CALENDAR