The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) has issued a formal call to delegates from national standardisation bodies, urging them to vote in favour of a new, landmark European Safer Gambling standard on “markers of harm” in online gambling.
The crucial vote, which is being overseen by the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN), is set to close on September 25 and represents the culmination of a multi-year initiative first proposed by the EGBA in 2022.
The proposed European Safer Gambling Standard aims to establish the first pan-European framework for identifying behavioural indicators that may signal risky or problematic gambling.
These markers include observable changes in a player’s activity, such as the speed, duration, and frequency of their play.
By creating a unified set of definitions, the standard would equip operators with a more consistent and effective tool to detect at-risk behaviour at an early stage, allowing for timely interventions to prevent gambling-related harm.
Currently, operators across Europe use their own proprietary methods for monitoring player behaviour, but no harmonized framework exists.
The development process involved extensive consultation with a wide range of stakeholders, including regulators, academics, and harm-prevention experts, and has already received support from the Gambling Regulators European Forum (GREF).
Maarten Haijer, Secretary General of the EGBA, described the vote as a pivotal moment for consumer protection in Europe.
The vote represents a milestone moment for safer gambling in Europe. This EGBA-proposed initiative demonstrates precisely the kind of collaboration we need more of – bringing together stakeholders to share knowledge and experiences to create something for the common good. We call on national delegates to approve the important standard, which will contribute to a better understanding of problem gambling behaviour and support more effective harm prevention across Europe.
If the standard is approved by the national delegates, it is expected to be formally published by early 2026.
Its adoption would remain voluntary, giving national gambling regulators the discretion to decide whether to formally integrate it into their domestic licensing and regulatory frameworks.
