European gambling operators pledge to standards for influencer marketing
The EGBA’s Pledge on Responsible Influencer Marketing is intended as the first industry-wide set of influencer marketing standards in Europe’s gambling sector.
Belgium.- The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) has launched a set of standards for responsible influencer marketing in the gambling sector. The Pledge on Responsible Influencer Marketing in Online Gambling was developed with the European Advertising Standards Alliance (EASA) as the first industry-wide set of influencer marketing standards in Europe’s gambling sector.
The association of online gambling operators says the move is intended to address the fast-paced evolution of online marketing, which has seen a growing use of influencers in the gambling industry. It builds on the EGBA’s existing Code of Conduct on responsible advertising for online gambling, adding additional standards for all forms of influencer marketing content, including live streams, stories, posts, videos, and any digital content formats.
The pledge establishes three core pillars. Firstly, enhanced advertising standards include rules and guidelines on enhanced transparency and age-gating mechanisms to prevent minors from accessing influencer marketing content for online gambling. It builds on the EGBA Code’s prohibition of gambling marketing content appealing to minors by introducing content moderation requirements and audience demographic checks.
The pledge also focuses on influencer selection criteria, with EGBA members committing to working only with influencers who have been screened for responsible marketing conduct and who abide by all applicable advertising standards and legislation. EGBA members encourage the use of training programmes to ensure the influencers they work with remain on top of the latest regulatory and self-regulatory developments for advertising.
Finally, the pledge also has a component focusing on independent monitoring and compliance. EGBA members will have their influencer marketing content regularly monitored by independent entities and to promptly remove any content that is non-compliant with the pledge.
“As the online advertising landscape continues to evolve, we’re proud to lead the industry with the first comprehensive standards for influencer marketing in Europe’s gambling sector,” said Maarten Haijer, secretary general of EGBA.
“This pledge demonstrates our members’ commitment to responsible advertising and willingness to go beyond regulatory requirements to ensure the highest standards of transparency and minor protection in their influencer partnerships.”
Meanwhile, the EGBA has welcomed the European Committee for Standardisation‘s (CEN) positive vote in favour of its proposed European standard on gambling harm markers. A strong majority of national standardisation bodies voted in favour of the standard, in what is seen as a milestone for player protection in Europe.
The finalisation process is expected to be complete by early 2026. Once published, the standard will be available for voluntary adoption by gambling regulators and operators across Europe.
