SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) has responded positively to the EU Committee for Standardisation‘s (CEN) draft on a common gambling harm markers framework.
Text proposals dictate that a set of markers of gambling harm is to be outlined and considered for adoption by online gambling operators across Europe for the purpose of detecting and preventing compulsive behaviours.
The initiative is based on a previous suggestion by EGBA for the implementation of the same model of problem gambling identification principles. The harm markers will be developed by a collaboration between academia, gambling regulators, operators, and harm prevention experts from across Europe.
The Gaming Regulators European Forum (GREF) also backed CEN’s plans, explaining that a common problem gambling guidebook will be particularly useful for CEN member countries where duty of care regulations are loose or absent.
Maarten Haijer, Secretary General of EGBA, commented: “We very much welcome GREF’s support for this important initiative. The development of a European standard on markers of harm will be a crucial step forward for safer gambling in Europe.
“It will help establish a more common understanding of problem gambling behaviours and raise the bar on player protection across the industry. Collaboration on safer gambling is crucial and we call on all stakeholders participating in the CEN standardisation process to support its finalisation in the coming months.”
It must be noted that compliance with the new standard by individual territories remains voluntary under Article 2 of E.U. Regulation 1025/2012 on European standardisation, unless made compulsory by the relevant national authorities.
