Standardisation bodies of the European Union (EU) have been urged to ‘vote yes’ and forge a new standard of markers to help identify gambling harms.
The demand is led by the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA), which is pressing national delegates to back a landmark European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) proposal before the 25 September deadline.
If adopted, the measure would create the first-ever European standard on markers of harm in online gambling — a list of behavioural indicators such as shifts in speed, time and duration of play that can signal risky or problematic activity.
The Brussels-based trade body said the framework would plug a critical gap in Europe’s gambling ecosystem, where operators already deploy such tools but lack a common definition across markets. By setting an evidence-based benchmark, EGBA argues, the new system would enable earlier interventions, improve player protection and ensure greater consistency across borders.
“The vote represents a milestone moment for safer gambling in Europe,” said Maarten Haijer, Secretary General of EGBA. “This EGBA-proposed initiative demonstrates precisely the kind of collaboration we need more of – bringing together stakeholders to share knowledge and experiences to create something for the common good. We call on national delegates to approve the important standard, which will contribute to a better understanding of problem gambling behaviour and support more effective harm prevention across Europe.”
The draft has already won the backing of the Gambling Regulators European Forum (GREF), with its development involving academics, regulators, operators and harm-prevention specialists since EGBA first proposed it in 2022.
Should the measure pass, the voluntary standard will be published by early 2026, leaving national regulators free to decide whether to incorporate it into their domestic frameworks.
EGBA stressed that the initiative is part of its broader mission to promote harmonisation of gambling measures across EU markets — in the interests of consumer protection, and to strengthen the industry’s fight against the black market and illegal activities.
