Writing to the European Commission, the group of gambling authorities has formally requested the reestablishment of the Expert Group on Gambling, with the decision confirmed in a webinar on Thursday by René Jansen, Chairperson of the Dutch Gambling Authority.
The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) says it fully supports reestablishing the Expert Group, in a bid to facilitate and support cooperation between gambling authorities in the EU.
“Europe’s gambling market is worth €100 billion each year, with many millions of Europeans playing, but the absence of the Expert Group means that, unlike any other consumer market, there is currently no formal framework for regulatory cooperation at EU-level,” a statement from EGBA read.
“EGBA has previously called on the Commission to reinstate the Expert Group and believes that the challenges facing gambling regulation mean that formal and structured regulatory cooperation between EU Member States is even more important to help protect European consumers.”
The group provided a platform for gambling regulators to exchange information, share best practices and work together on joint initiatives, and consisted of representatives from the EU’s gambling authorities, but was disbanded by the Commission in 2018.
“There is currently no EU framework for gambling regulators to even communicate, let alone to jointly tackle the big issues affecting Europe’s online gambling sector,” said EGBA Secretary General Maarten Haijer.
“Most of these issues are cross-border in nature and require common solutions.
“We, therefore, welcome the strong commitment to regulatory cooperation and call to action from the majority of Europe’s gambling regulators. The message to the European Commission is clear: both gambling regulators and the sector itself are united in support of the Expert Group and call upon the Commission to reinstate the Expert Group.”
