New European Standard Published to Detect Problem Gambling

^{Pictured: Maarten Haijer, Secretary General of EGBA}

A European standard has been published for the early detection of signs of gambling-related harm. The document describes changes in player behaviour that may serve as risk indicators for operators, from frequent deposits to cancelled withdrawals.

The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) initiated the development of the standard after proposing the initiative to the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) in 2022.

Operators, regulators and experts were involved in preparing the document.

The standard describes nine markers that may indicate harmful gambling behaviour:

• changes in bet size;
• changes in betting frequency;
• frequent deposits, increases in deposit size or failed deposit attempts;
• cancelled withdrawal requests;
• player communications with the operator;
• long gambling sessions or play at unusual times of day;
• the use of several gambling products at the same time, such as slots combined with sports betting;
• an increase in losses;
• changes to limits or self-exclusion options.

EGBA secretary general Maarten Haijer said broad adoption of the standard would help identify signs of risky gambling earlier and strengthen player protection.

He said EGBA members already apply many elements of the standard and intend to gradually align their player protection systems with it across all European jurisdictions.

The standard is voluntary and does not replace national regulation. It is intended to serve as an additional reference point for operators.

The document is not freely available. Operators, regulators and other market participants can purchase it through national standardisation bodies.

The estimated cost is around €100, although the final price depends on the country and the document format.

EGBA is an industry association representing gambling operators licensed in EU countries. Its members collectively hold 321 online gambling licences in 21 European countries.