Maarten Haijer to lead new World Gaming and Betting Alliance

The Geneva-based WGBA is planning a formal launch later this year with the publication of a flagship report on the global gambling sector.

Key takeaways:

• Maarten Haijer has been appointed as the first director general of the World Gaming and Betting Alliance (WGBA), bringing more than 13 years of experience from his previous role as secretary general of the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA).
• The Geneva-based WGBA, whose members include bet365, FDJ United, Flutter and Entain, aims to promote effective regulation, tackle the online black market, improve consumer protection and support evidence-led gambling policy.
• The body plans a formal launch later in the year alongside the publication of a flagship report.

Switzerland.- Maarten Haijer has been appointed as the first director general of the World Gaming and Betting Alliance (WGBA). He takes the helm of the new Geneva-based gambling industry organisation as it prepares for its formal launch later this year.

The announcement comes a little over a month after Haijer stepped down as secretary general at the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA), a post he occupied for more than 13 years. He has since been at Algonquin Consulting, while Pierre Tournier took the helm as interim secretary general at the EGBA.

The WGBA was formed in July 2026 and counts the major gambling operators bet365, FDJ United, Flutter and Entain among its members. The organisation’s objectives include combating the black market, advancing policy and advocacy efforts for a more sustainable gambling sector and raising consumer protection standards. It will operate through a governance structure consisting of a general assembly, board and secretariat.

It said that under Haijer’s leadership, “the organisation will drive a worldwide initiative focused on engaging policymakers and enhancing the evidence base that underpins gambling regulation”.

Haijer’s career previously included positions at the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Netherlands’ Permanent Representation to the European Union. In a statement posted on LinkedIn, he said the WGBA aims to bring together the global gaming and betting industry around the principles of “effective regulation, high industry standards and evidence-led policy”. He also stressed that gambling should remain “a lawful, safe form of entertainment” for the majority of adults.

Commenting on the regulatory environment, Haijer argued that the need for properly regulated gambling markets is increasing.

“The global regulatory landscape is evolving fast, and the case for well-regulated markets has never been more important, both for consumers and for the societies in which they operate. I look forward to engaging with regulators, policymakers and public health stakeholders to help shape the conversation on the global scale.

“We will be formally launching WGBA later this year in Geneva, alongside our first flagship report. Excited for what’s to come in the weeks ahead.”

At the EGBA, Haijer oversaw a period of expansion that saw the association strengthen its engagement with European Union institutions and national regulators. The body credited him with having promoting “safe, well-regulated and competitive multi-licensed markets” throughout Europe and helping establish the organisation’s annual European Safer Gambling Week initiative. During Haijer’s tenure, the EGBA also worked alongside experts and regulatory authorities to publish a voluntary pan-European standard designed to identify markers of gambling harm.

FAQs

What is the WGBA?
The World Gaming and Betting Alliance (WGBA) is a global industry alliance focused on supporting effective gambling regulation, raising industry standards, improving consumer protection and combating black-market gambling activity. It was established in July 2026 and includes bet365, FDJ United, Flutter and Entain as members.

Who is Maarten Haijer?
Maarten Haijer is a gambling policy and regulatory expert who spent more than 13 years as secretary general of the EGBA before becoming the first director general of the World Gaming and Betting Alliance (WGBA). Haijer’s career previously included positions at the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Netherlands’ Permanent Representation to the European Union.