SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) Chairman René Jansen has warned European regulatory counterparts and lawmakers that “international cooperation is still required in the field of online gambling”.
This notice was issued as Jansen concludes his tenure as chair of the Gambling Regulators’ European Forum (GREF), set to be succeeded by Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, the President of l’Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ) – France’s unified gambling authority.
GREF recently concluded its annual conference in Bergen, Norway, which was attended by 90 representatives from 30 countries, providing insights and opinions on the dynamics impacting the regulation of gambling across Europe.
As the Chairman of Dutch gambling, Jansen thanked GREF for “facilitating international dialogue among regulators, providing a platform for sharing knowledge and discussing challenges in their respective markets”.
During his tenure as Chair of GREF, Jansen cited four trends that must be addressed, despite differing legislation and regulation among European member states.
He emphasized that igaming policy development must be led by “a stronger focus on player protection and addiction prevention, including the introduction of playing limits”.
He also raised a public concern, stating that regulators must seek to “reduce the coverage of gambling advertising and sponsorship,” while placing an emphasis on protecting vulnerable groups such as minors and young adults.
GREF members were advised to undertake “firm enforcement against illegal gambling providers, including unregulated offers via platforms like Facebook.” This is essential to safeguard markets from illicit activities.
Jansen noted that iGaming was entering a new technological age. In this regard, regulatory collaboration is required to understand the impact of “new technological and market developments, such as NFTs, P2E, and cryptos, and their potential impacts on the industry”.
The KSA Chairman underscored that European gambling is composed of a “patchwork of different types of legislation and regulation”. However, he emphasized that standards and best practices can be harmonized through cooperation.
Having served four years on the GREF board, including two years as Chairman, Jansen welcomed Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin as his successor. He concluded: “This edition of the annual conferences marked the end of a special period for me: after four years on the board, including two years as Chairman, I hand over the baton to Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, the President of the French regulator ANJ.
“I found it fun, useful, and instructive over the past few years. I wish Isabelle and the new GREF board incredible success!””
