Maarten Haijer, Secretary General of the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA), has once again called upon Romania to revise its self-exclusion and responsible gambling policies and create a modern approach to iGaming safety.
Hajier attended an event at the Romanian Parliament organized by the Romanian Online Gambling Association (AOJND) and spoke directly to both the public and lawmakers, taking a strong stance for the creation of a robust, national self-exclusion register.
The event was broadcast on the Romanian national television and was covered by Antena 3, a leading Romanian news outlet.
Haijer highlighted the vision of EGBA for the creation of a safer, responsible gambling environment as quickly as possible, stating that “evidence shows tailored policies lead to better outcomes”.
Effective regulation should focus on harm prevention through targeted interventions rather than a blanket approach.
Moreover, Haijer mentioned the formal recommendations of EGBA, stressing the organization’s approach that features a real-time fail-safe system that is accessible to players from Romania through a GDPR-compliant official government website.
Hajier said that the register must include every licensed gambling operator, and this includes both land-based and online casinos, and more importantly, offer players the option to set minimum and maximum exclusion periods.
Just as important, Hajier mentioned that the goal is to ensure that players who self-exclude are automatically removed from advertising lists and are directed to organizations and resources that can offer them assistance.
Establishing a self-exclusion framework based on these European best practices would provide a crucial safety net for Romanian players.
Andres Dorph, Director of Spillemyndigheden, the Danish gambling authority, echoed Hajier’s sentiment and said:
Gambling is about entertainment, not profit. It’s similar to going to the cinema – you pay for the experience, not for guaranteed returns.
