EGBA members commit to new European gambling harm detection standard

European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) members will align their player protection frameworks with a newly published European standard aimed at identifying risky gambling behaviour, marking what the industry body described as a significant step toward harmonising safer gambling practices across Europe.

The standard, known as EN 18144, was published on May 31 through the national standardisation bodies of the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN). It establishes a voluntary framework for gambling operators to identify signs of potential harm before gambling behaviour escalates.

The standard outlines nine behavioural markers that operators can use to detect emerging risks:

• changes in stake volume or frequency.
• speed or intensity of play.
• deposit frequency, size, or failed deposits.
• withdrawals and cancelled withdrawals.
• player-initiated contact.
• gambling session duration or time-of-day play.
• use of multiple products.
• net losses or loss trajectories over time.
• changes to safety tools such as limits and self-exclusion.

EGBA proposed the initiative to CEN in 2022 and participated in its development alongside gambling operators, regulators, academics and harm-prevention stakeholders. The standard is the first of its kind for the gambling industry and is based on the latest available research, EGBA said.

The framework received overwhelming approval from national standardisation bodies in October 2025 before its formal publication this year.

EGBA members are already applying many elements of the standard. Most members monitor all nine behavioural indicators and use risk-scoring models to assess player behaviour and identify emerging signs of harm.

Members have also committed to progressively aligning their operations with the new framework across European markets.

"This is an important milestone for player protection in Europe. When widely adopted, this voluntary standard will lead to earlier identification of risky play and, ultimately, better protection for players," Maarten Haijer, Secretary General of EGBA, said in a statement.

"Our members are ahead of the curve on implementation – they are already applying many aspects of the standard and are committed to alignment across their European operations," he added. "We encourage other operators to adopt the standard and help raise the bar on player protection across Europe."

The standard is intended to complement existing national gambling regulations rather than replace them. EGBA noted that implementation could vary between jurisdictions where certain behavioural markers may conflict with local laws or regulatory requirements.