The speakers; Rene Jansen, Executive Chairman of Kansspelautoriteit, Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, Chairwoman of ANJ and Mikel Arana, Director General of the DGOJ, are together responsible for over half of the European Union’s gambling population.
Speaking on the importance of player protection, Pierrotin noted: “I think generally speaking, GDPR culture within the operators is average. But, I think for me the key question is, do we agree on the KPIs and indicators showing that a player is going to become risky.
“The problem we have in France, and I am sure this is the case in other countries, is that there is no agreement between the regulators and operators about these indicators. Of course, this is difficult.
“In France we have had huge market growth, but if we want to keep this market growth while maintaining player protection we need the regulators and operators to agree on the indicators of risk. Defining these indicators is absolutely key to having proper regulation.”
This theme was echoed by all three speakers, as each regulator highlighted the importance of a symbiotic approach towards player protection by both the operator and the regulator. Every market is different, however, and in Europe each nation has a diverse and ever-changing population.
On the approach to responsible gambling when considering these cultural differences, Jansen commented: “In Europe we do not have one standard, or one legal framework. The cultural differences in Europe are far too big to cope with such a centralised framework. So what we try to do in general is to learn from each other, exchange our experiences without trying to create a certain standard across the whole of Europe.”
As the presentation came to an end, each regulator was seemingly in agreement on the biggest challenge facing them in the years to come, the constantly changing nature of gaming in the 21st century.
Indeed, it is evident that if regulators are to succeed in their attempts to protect players, they must keep up with the fast-moving trends and technology this industry has embraced.
