EGBA urges countries to back European standard on gambling harm markers
The association of online gambling operators says national standardisation bodies should vote in favour of a landmark European standard for markers of harm.
Belgium.- The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) is urging the delegates of national standardisation bodies to approve a landmark European standard on markers of harm in online gambling in the voting process at the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN). The vote, closing on September 25, represents the culmination of a three-year collaborative effort that began with an EGBA proposal to the EU standardisation body back in 2022.
The European standard on markers of harm aims to establish a list of behavioural indicators that, when analysed together, can signal risky or problematic gambling behaviour. The EGBA, which represents online gaming operators, says these markers – such as changes in speed, time, and duration of play – are essential tools for enabling early intervention and harm prevention in the online gambling environment.
A landmark collaborative effort
The CEN process has brought together experts from across Europe, including academics, gambling regulators, operators, harm prevention professionals, and other key stakeholders through their national standardisation delegations. The process has already secured significant support from key stakeholders, including the Gambling Regulators European Forum (GREF).
The EGBA notes that while many organisations, including gambling operators, use markers of harm in their safer gambling efforts, there is no commonly agreed framework defining which behaviours constitute markers of harm. The standardisation initiative aims to resolve that gap by creating a unified, evidence-based list of behavioural indicators grounded in the research and scientific expertise.
The EGBA argues that it would enable earlier and more consistent detection of risky play across operators and borders, and help raise the bar on player protection industry-wide. If approved, the finalised standard is expected to be published by CEN by the beginning of 2026 at the latest. The standard will be voluntary in nature and online gambling regulators will remain free to decide whether they wish to incorporate it into their national safer gambling frameworks.
“The vote represents a milestone moment for safer gambling in Europe,” said Maarten Haijer, secretary general of EGBA. “This EGBA-proposed initiative demonstrates precisely the kind of collaboration we need more of – bringing together stakeholders to share knowledge and experiences to create something for the common good. We call on national delegates to approve the important standard, which will contribute to a better understanding of problem gambling behaviour and support more effective harm prevention across Europe.”
