Milestone European standard on gambling harm markers reaches publication
EN 18144 establishes guidance for consumer protection across Europe, identifying core behavioural markers that gambling operators can monitor.
Belgium.- The European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) has published the European standard on markers of harm in gambling following its approval by the European Union’s national standardisation bodies in October 2025. The move makes standard EN 18144 available for purchase from national standardisation bodies across Europe.
EN 18144 establishes guidance for consumer protection across Europe, identifying nine core behavioural markers that operators can use to recognise risky gambling patterns before they escalate. As a voluntary tool, the standard complements existing national regulatory frameworks. In some jurisdictions, certain markers may not be applicable where they conflict with national law, meaning that implementation will reflect the regulatory realities of each market.
The nine behavioural markers set out in the standard are:
- Changes in stake volume or frequency.
- Speed or intensity of play.
- Deposit frequency, size, or failed deposits.
- Withdrawals and cancelled withdrawals.
- Player-initiated contact.
- Gambling session duration or time-of-day play.
- Use of multiple products.
- Net losses or loss trajectories over time.
- Changes to safety tools such as limits and self-exclusion.
The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) proposed the initiative to CEN in 2022 and participated in its development alongside operators, national authorities, academics, and other harm prevention stakeholders. It welcomed the publication, describing the measure as the first of its kind in the gambling industry.
The EGBA said the markers are grounded in recent research. Operators can employ them by applying risk-scoring models to continuously assess player behaviour and flag emerging risk patterns.
It said its members, which comprise online gambling operators across European jurisdictions, were committed to aligning their player protection frameworks with the standard, with most already monitoring all nine behavioural indicators and many having embedded them across all their operations. Members have committed to progressive alignment with the standard across all their operations.
Maarten Haijer, Secretary General of EGBA, said: “This is an important milestone for player protection in Europe. When widely adopted, this voluntary standard will lead to earlier identification of risky play and, ultimately, better protection for players. Our members are ahead of the curve on implementation – they are already applying many aspects of the standard and are committed to alignment across their European operations. We encourage other operators to adopt the standard and help raise the bar on player protection across Europe“.
