More and more countries around Europe are setting stricter laws and regulations for online gaming, but through the internet, it is possible to play across national and team borders. Therefore, the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) now requests in a letter that the European Commission should develop a regulatory framework that clarifies and standardizes gaming laws that will apply to the whole of Europe.
What is EGBA?
The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) is an industry association and has been working since 2007 with various national and EU authorities in the quest for safe gaming from regulated countries throughout the EU.
Based in Brussels, EGBA consists of members from various gaming companies as representatives of licensed gaming operators in the EU. Some of the members are Kindred Group, BOS.nu and MRG. The Secretary-General of the EGBA is Maarten Haijer.
Laws are missing for online gambling across national borders
A patchwork of national rules paralyzes the cross-border betting world. It’s time for Brussels to bring countries together.
This is how EGBA’s Secretary-General Maarten Haijer begins his open letter to the European Commission. He explains that it is problematic with different regulations when players choose to bet across national borders.
Haijer writes that the betting sector itself is entirely regulated by national policies where each EU country’s rules work separately but do not take into account online gambling that extends across national borders. The consequence of this is 28 completely different laws and user experiences, and for that reason, a formal framework is required, he says. Standard rules for online gaming in the EU is something that Kindred’s CEO Tjärnström also previously advocated, and pointed out that equal rights for all citizens are the idea behind the EU.
The European Commission’s bill is not being followed
Secretary-General Maarten Haijer says that today there are over 12 million players in Europe and he explains that the European Commission has listed measures that the countries should carry out. Still, a survey showed that only Denmark had implemented all of them.
As an example of the problem, Haijer mentions rules on self-exclusion, which only 14 EU countries have introduced, and no more than 13 countries require text on ads that say that gambling for minors is illegal. The Commission has proposed these provisions. Still, the vast majority of Member States have not implemented the rules, prompting Haijer to call on the European Commission to take active action now.
Calls for cooperation and transparent rules in the EU
First and foremost, formal regulatory cooperation is necessary for the online gaming industry writes the Secretary-General, followed by standardization and more common rules. Clear and unambiguous rules, Haijer believes, will benefit both players, regulators and players.
In conclusion, Haijert explains that greater regulatory cooperation and better implementation of existing EU initiatives and laws is the beginning of all EU players having the same rights. He writes that it has not worked to let each country take responsibility for handling the regulation; therefore, the European Commission must now act.
