With its headquarters in Brussels, the European Gaming and Betting Group (EGBA) is the trade group that represents the most prominent online gambling firms that have been created, licensed, and regulated inside the European Union. A well-regulated and well-channeled online gambling industry that offers a high degree of consumer protection and takes into account the reality of the internet and online consumer demand is the goal of the European Gambling Board (EGBA), which collaborates with national and EU authorities as well as other stakeholders to achieve this goal. In 2021, the firms that were members of the European Gambling Board (EGBA) had 225 licenses to operate online gambling businesses, which allowed them to serve 29.8 million users in 21 different European nations.

EGBA has been registered with the EU Transparency Register since 2009, and the relevant registration number is 29508582413-52.

The EGBA: A Brief History of Representing Online Gambling in Europe

The European Gambling Association (EGBA) was established in February of 2007, and at that time, it was known by its previous name. Beginning in April of 2013, Maarten Haijer has been serving as the Secretary-General of the Organization.

EGBA Membership and Industry Collaboration

gaming organization

The European gaming organization (EGBA) is an organization that is driven by its members and works closely with its members on a daily basis to secure regulatory and market development results that support a well-regulated and competitive European online gaming industry. These outcomes are achieved at both the EU and national levels. Membership is available to online gambling enterprises that are based in the European Union or the European Economic Area and that are able to adhere to the ideals of the Organization.

At the moment, EGBA is comprised of six member companies:

Bet365 Betsson, Flutter Entertainment, Kindred Group, and William Hill are all included in this.

Beyond Regulation: EGBA’s Self-Imposed Standards for Online Gambling

The establishment of a sustainable online gambling industry in which clients are able to engage in online gambling within an atmosphere that is both secure and well-regulated is one of the primary goals of the European Gambling Board (EGBA). For this reason, members of the European Group for Business and Industry (EGBA) have produced and adhered to a comprehensive set of European industry standards. These standards are intended to supplement the many and strict consumer protection rules that they currently comply with within the European nations in which they do business.

Digital Boom or Traditional Dominance? A Look at Europe’s Gambling Landscape

The income generated by the gambling industry in Europe reached €108,5 billion in 2022, representing an increase of 8% in comparison to the levels that existed before the epidemic in 2019 and a rise of 23% in comparison to 2021. This surge was mostly driven by the reopening of land-based gambling venues after the pandemic. The gross gaming income from land-based gambling venues increased by 34% to reach €70,3 billion in 2022, accounting for 65% of the total revenue generated from gambling. In the meanwhile, the money generated by online gambling climbed by 8%, reaching €38,2 billion in gross gaming revenue. This makes up 35% of the overall gambling revenue in Europe.

Promoting Safer Gambling: How EGBA Collaborates with Members and Stakeholders

The Collection of Data on an Annual Basis

Together with its members and H2 Gaming Capital, the European Gambling Authority (EGBA) produces annual statistics about the online gaming industry in the European Union. EGBA members had a collective gross gaming revenue (GGR) of 11.6 billion euros in 2021, which accounted for 33 percent of the entire income generated by online gambling in Europe during that year. After online casinos, which accounted for 45% of the total GGR for EGBA members who gambled online, sports betting accounted for 46% of the total.

Report on the Yearly Sustainability of the Community

The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) releases its annual Sustainability Report on an annual basis. This report details the collaborative efforts and progress achieved by EGBA and its members to promote gaming that is both safe and sustainable and to contribute to society in Europe positively. According to the most recent version of the report, members of the EGBA delivered more than 20 million tailored, safer gambling messages to their clients in 2021. This demonstrates that they are taking a more focused and individualized approach to safer gambling.

During the European Safer Gambling Week

It is an annual cross-border campaign to promote safer gaming in Europe that the European gaming Board Association (EGBA) organizes a “European Safer Gambling Week” each year. The project was established in 2021, and it is sponsored by a collection of European online gaming groups, which includes the European Gaming Board (EGBA) and its members. These associations participate in an annual gathering to foster open and honest debates about safer gambling in Europe. In 2022, the effort scaled up its effect in its second year by organizing 24 events and spreading safer gambling messaging via social media throughout 17 EU member states. As a result, the program achieved 1.5 million impressions, which is a 400% increase from 2021.

The European Online Gambling Associations Platform

A European online gaming associations platform, which was jointly formed in 2019, is maintained by the European Gaming Board (EGBA) in collaboration with national organizations. The platform brings together twenty-four different trade groups for exchanging information, experiences, and recommendations for best practices. It convenes on a regular basis and serves as a forum for collaborative industry efforts, including the annual European Safer Gambling Week.

A CEN Workshop Agreement is Being Drafted

In accordance with the Workshop Agreement on “Responsible Remote Gambling Measures” that was issued by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN), all operators of EGBA platforms conform to the guidelines. The CEN workshop agreement includes a list of evidence-based, self-regulatory measures that gaming enterprises may take in order to ensure a safe and secure environment for their players. This is in response to the fact that there is no pan-European legislation on gambling. eCOGRA, a testing agency and player protection and standards Organization located in London that is certified to the ISO/IEC 17025 standard, conducts an independent audit and verification of the compliance of EGBA members with this CEN standard on an annual basis.

Respect for the Integrity of Sports

The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) is an organization that promotes the integrity of sports by pushing industry efforts in the fight against betting-related match-fixing and corruption. Members of the European Gambling Board Association (EGBA) are obliged to be members of the Organization. The Organization has built a platform for alerts. It has entered into information sharing agreements with the most prominent regulatory organizations in sports, such as FIFA and the International Olympic Committee.

Conclusion

The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) stands at the forefront of advancing regulation within the EU’s online gambling market, emphasizing consumer protection and industry integrity. Through collaborative efforts with its member companies and stakeholders, EGBA not only promotes responsible gambling practices but also contributes to shaping a well-regulated and competitive landscape for online gambling across Europe. By adhering to rigorous standards and fostering innovation, EGBA continues to play a pivotal role in ensuring a safe, secure, and sustainable environment for both operators and consumers in the digital era of gaming.

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