EGBA hails increase in safer gambling promotion
Members of the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) sent 20 per cent more safer gambling messages last year.
Belgium.- The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) has published its annual Sustainability Report for 2022/23 detailing members’ work on safer gambling and other areas. The report states that EGBA members sent 45.5 million safer gambling messages to customers, an increase of 20 per cent year-on-year.
Nearly half (48 per cent) of safer gambling communications were personalised, sent to individual customers in direct response to their playing behaviour. This was up from 40 per cent in the previous year. According to the report, the number of customer accounts with member operators increased 5 per cent to 31.2 million.
EGBA secretary general Maarten Haijer said: “We’re delighted that our members continue to make positive progress in their efforts to promote safer gambling. This is all part of their commitment to put a sustainable approach to gambling at the heart of what they do. The contribution of our CEOs in this report demonstrates their personal and crucial commitment to the collective sustainability drive of the association.
“We’re particularly pleased this year to expand the scope of our sustainability reporting and to publish for the first-time new data points about our members’ progress in the areas of employment and diversity, as well as metrics on energy and environmental performance.”
The largest customer groups by age are the 26-35 years and 36-50 years categories, each representing 30 per cent of customers, while 74 per cent of customers were male and 26 per cent female. The number of customers using at least one safer gambling tool increased to 18.4 million, or 60 per cent of all customers, with 30 per cent using a safety tool voluntarily. Deposit limits were the most popular, accounting for 67 per cent of the tools used by customers.
Promotion of safer gambling
The EGBA report states that 51 per cent of the customers intervened with about their gambling behaviour reduced their financial losses in the three-month period immediately following intervention, while members continued to interact with those that did not. Meanwhile, 76 per cent of members’ employees received dedicated safer gambling training during the reporting year, up 5 per cent.
Member contributions to problem gambling research, education, and treatment (RET) increased by 109 per cent to €49m. Donations to European charities and community initiatives fell by 5 per cent to €127m.
Employment, diversity and environment
According to the report, EGBA members employed 63,386 people across online and land-based operations, down by 11 per cent. Some 57 per cent of employees were male.
Greenhouse gas emissions were 0.77 million tonnes of CO2e across online and land-based operations, a 12 per cent yearly increase. Total energy consumption was 198.5 gigawatt hours (GWh) a 5 per cent yearly increase. Renewable energy use was 137.4 GWh, up 6 per cent, while the share of renewables in total energy consumption was 69.2 per cent, an increase from 68.6 per cent.
European gambling bodies have confirmed the dates for Safer Gambling Week 2023, and this year’s campaign looks set to gain wider coverage across Europe. Taking place from November 13 to 19, this year’s initiative will be the sixth Safer Gambling Week for the UK and Ireland, and the third for Europe.
Safer Gambling Week began in the UK as an initiative jointly organised by the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), the amusement arcades body Bacta, The Lotteries Council and The Bingo Association. It has since expanded to Europe, coordinated by the EGBA.
