Members of national standardised bodies have until 25 September to vote on a proposal submitted by the EGBA to the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN), which seeks to establish a list of behavioural indicators that can signal problematic gambling behaviour.
According to the trade body, the framework, in development since 2022, will address a “critical gap” in the use of markers of harm in responsible gambling, as there is currently no agreed framework defining what constitutes risky behaviours.
“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,” urged Maarten Haijer, Secretary General of the EGBA.
During the development, experts across Europe, including academics, gambling regulators, operators and harm prevention professionals, have come together to develop the proposed policy.
If approved, the finalised standard is expected to be published by CEN by the beginning of 2026. It will be voluntary in nature, meaning online gambling regulators will decide whether they wish to incorporate it as part of their national safer gambling frameworks.
The EGBA represents licensed operators regulated across 21 countries across the European Union.
Spain leads the way
Already in the EU, national regulators are working on their own systems to counter problematic behaviour.
In June, Spain’s regulator, the Directorate General of the Regulation of Gambling (DGOJ), laid out plans for a responsible gambling algorithm that will step in to lead Spain’s player protection evolution
The DGOJ’s Director General, Mikeal Arana, also revealed that it has been forced to overhaul the detection systems in the country due to the failures of operators.
At the Gaming in Spain conference, he told attendees that very few of the country’s operators are implementing the detection systems mandated under the Royal Decree that governs gambling in Spain.
“We have seen that from 50 operators, around 38 have [no] risky players, which is hard to believe,” explained Arana.
