National standardisation bodies vote in favour of EGBA-led initiative to strengthen player protection across Europe.
The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) has welcomed the positive outcome of the vote on the draft European standard on markers of harm, held within the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN). An overwhelming majority of national standardisation bodies supported the proposal, marking a major milestone for player protection across Europe.
“The positive outcome of this vote is a true testament to the power of collaboration within our sector,” said Maarten Haijer, Secretary General of EGBA. “When we first presented this initiative to CEN, our vision was to create a commonly agreed standard that would benefit players all over Europe. We are delighted with the strong support the standard has received, and I would like to personally thank all the stakeholders who contributed to this process. The result clearly shows what can be achieved when we work together to strengthen player protection.”
Vasiliki Panousi, Senior Manager of EU Affairs at EGBA, added: “After years of driving this project from its conception to its development, seeing the overwhelming support it has received is incredibly rewarding. This will be the first jointly agreed European standard for identifying risky gambling behaviours, and it represents an essential building block for effective harm prevention in Europe. The cooperation behind this standard was invaluable, bringing together diverse expertise from across the continent.”
EGBA extended its gratitude in particular to Dr. Maris Catania, who served as the official project leader, and AFNOR – the French standardisation body – which coordinated the project as CEN’s Secretariat. Special thanks were also given to all delegates from national standardisation committees, academics, regulators, operators, and harm-prevention experts whose input was vital throughout this multi-year collaboration.
The voting process concluded on 25 September. While the outcome marks a significant step forward, the standard must now undergo CEN’s formal finalisation procedure before publication. This process, which involves translations and other formal requirements, can take several months.
The finalisation is expected to be completed by early 2026. Once published, the standard will be available for voluntary adoption by gambling regulators and operators across Europe.
