European Gaming and Betting Association

The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) is the Brussels-based trade association representing the leading online gaming and betting operators which are established, licensed and regulated within the EU. EGBA works together with national, EU authorities and other stakeholders towards a well-regulated online gambling market which provides a high level of consumer protection and takes into account digital realities and consumer demand. Today, EGBA’s member companies have more than 16.5 million customers in Europe.

This article is about the association of European online betting and gaming operators. For the clan of the Yoruba people in western Nigeria, see Egba people.

EGBA is registered to the EU Transparency Register since 2009.[1]

History

EGBA was created in February 2007 and was formerly known as the European Betting Association. Maarten Haijer serves as the association’s Secretary-General since April 2013.[2]

Membership

EGBA currently has five member companies:

One national association is an affiliate member:

  • BOS, Sweden

Objectives

EGBA works towards a safe, fun and responsible environment for online gambling in the EU, through the promotion of well-regulated online gambling markets which provide a high level of consumer protection and take into account digital realities and consumer demand. EGBA encourages EU countries to ensure their national online gambling markets are attractive enough to the highest number of gamblers in that country, so that gambling activity stays within the regulated environment and does not take place on unregulated websites which do not protect the consumer rights or interests of gamblers.

EU Online Gambling Sector

Online gambling is a growing sector within the EU, with gross gaming revenue (GGR) expected to reach €29.3 billion in 2022. In 2018, the EU online gambling market was valued at €22.2 billion GGR - growing 11% from €20 billion GGR in 2017 - and accounted for 49.2% of the global online gambling market. The EU online gambling channelled or white market accounted for €15.9bn, reflecting an average EU-wide channelling rate of 71.7%. Online gambling now represents 23.2% of the total EU gambling market activity. [3]

Actions and Partnerships

Annual data collection

EGBA publishes yearly data about the EU online gambling sector, in partnership with H2 Gambling Capital, and EGBA members.

CEN Workshop Agreement

All EGBA operators adhere to the Workshop Agreement on “Responsible Remote Gambling Measures” published by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN). In absence of pan-European regulations on gambling, the CEN workshop agreement provides for evidence-based self-regulatory measures for gambling companies which aim to create a safe and secure environment for gamblers in the EU.

Memorandum of Understanding with the IOC

Prior to the Winter Olympics in 2014, EGBA, ESSA and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) agreed on a new information reporting arrangement regarding suspicious betting activities. The agreement, which runs until the summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, aims to safeguard major sport competitions from manipulation linked to betting.

Online Gambling Focus

EGBA publishes a quarterly newsletter which reviews topical issues relevant to the EU's gambling sector. The Winter 2019 issue focuses on advertising and sponsorship issues[4].

Partnership with EU Athletes

In 2010, EGBA entered into a partnership with the European Elite Athletes Association (EU Athletes) to fund a campaign to educate players on match fixing: the Protect Integrity project. The co-funded European Commission project began in 2010 and has been prolonged following considerable success. In October 2015, the Protect Integrity project received €488,305 in funding from the European Commission, ensuring that it continued for another 2 years, kicking off in January 2016 until the end of 2017. The project has reached over 15.000 professional athletes through education initiatives about sports betting integrity and the dangers of match fixing.

Responsible Gaming Day

EGBA organises a yearly conference “Responsible Gaming Day”. The latest edition took place in the European Parliament in Brussels. The conferences have become an annual meeting on European gambling policy gathering representatives from European institutions, national gambling regulators and other stakeholders in the gambling sector. The event, which has been running since 2008, provides an opportunity for discussion about the best practices and challenges for responsible gaming and betting in the EU.

References
  1. Commission and European Parliament launch Joint Transparency Register to shed light on all those seeking to influence European policy
  2. iGaming Business - EGBA promotes Haijer
  3. EGBA: European Online Gambling – Key Figures 2018
  4. EGBA: Online Gaming Focus - Winter 2018: Online Gambling Advertising and Sponsorship
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