European Lotteries commits to new sustainability pledges
The EL hopes to set a precedent for the lottery industry as a whole.
Ireland.- European Lotteries (EL), the umbrella organisation that represents the sector’s interests in European Union politics, has launched a new initiative in a bid to reduce greenhouse gas emissions related to members’ operations. The new guidelines were announced at the EL/WLA Sustainability and Responsible Gaming Seminar in the Irish capital, Dublin.
Through the new initiative the lotteries belonging to the group aim to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions through setting measurable targets and promoting sustainable practices. The EL said that it hopes to set a precedent for the lottery industry as a whole, demonstrating that environmental change is achievable and necessary.
The new EL Sustainability Guidelines were designed to align with global sustainability standards and to provide EL members with a framework to bring a focus on sustainability to all parts of their operations, from responsible supply chains to player protection and community engagement.
European Lotteries president Romana Girandon said: “The new commitment demonstrates our proactive approach to addressing climate change, while the updated guidelines ensure that EL members remain at the forefront of environmental and social responsibility.”
European Lotteries manifesto
In June, European Lotteries published its new manifesto ahead of the European Parliament elections. The manifesto outlines eight policies for the next parliamentary term, with a strong emphasis on community support.
The first point is to safeguard national lotteries’ social roles. The body calls on EU lawmakers to protect the sustainable lottery model and ensure lotteries remain a “force for good in society”. Second on the list is the battle against illegal operators. Here, European Lotteries praised the “trusted flaggers” concept in the European Digital Services Act to help prevent unlicensed offerings.
As its third point, the manifesto urges EU institutions and EU Member States to ensure all gambling operators are taxed in the country of the consumer and have the necessary licence to operate there. The fourth point urges the European Commission to maintain its non-legislative approach to the lottery sector, allowing each member state to define consumer protection requirements nationally.
In its fifth manifesto policy, EL encourages a risk-based approach to advertising. It describes marketing as playing a “crucial role in channelling consumers towards the legal and safer offerings” and argues that, again, rules should be defined locally. It suggested that high-risk games such as online casino should face tougher advertising rules than lottery.
Artificial intelligence is mentioned in the sixth point, with the body noting that the technology may harm as well as benefit the sector. It calls for careful assessment of AI implementation in alignment with current EU legislation.
Point seven is an endorsement of the Council of Europe’s Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions and the definition of “illegal sports betting”. Finally, regarding sustainability, EL urges EU legislators to consider the unique characteristics of lotteries when debating environmental taxonomy.
The annual European Lotteries conference was held in Belgium in April. There members stressed that lotteries play an important social role and are part of Europe’s cultural heritage.
