EGBA calls for European Commission Activity on iGaming harmonization

The European Gambling and Betting Association (EGBA) reportedly held a special event on Tuesday to previously request the European Commission to launch a new effort which would lead to better continental consistency concerning the regulation of online gaming .

Insufficient consumer protections:

According to a Thursday report from European Gambling Media and Events, the trade group for the internet gambling and sportsbetting industry said that Commission Recommendation 2014/478/EU hasn’t led to sufficiently substantial standards of customer protections due a provision which makes it only financially jaded by the 28 individual nations of the European Union.

National interests predominate:

Consequently, the Brussels-based organization reportedly cited researcher Margaret Carran as stating ‘varying national interests’ have not led to ‘a high degree of customer protection’ as national interests have often taken precedence over European Union-wide frameworks.

Carran reportedly told European Gambling Media and Events…

“In case we believe [that the European Commission] wanted to achieve harmonization [but] the Recommendation hasn’t done so. State-to-state regulations are very divergent. Even if regulation appears to be similar, in detail they are still quite different.

Manifesto calling for change:

Hence, the EGBA reportedly released its An EU Framework for Online Gambling 2.0 manifesto earlier this week in which it called on the European Commission to ‘desperately ’ review the execution of Commission Recommendation 2014/478/EU so as to create ‘a coherent cooperation framework’ while ensuring bloc-wide iGaming regulations are ‘entirely enforced’. The group also purportedly declared that it would like the rules changed so that online operators will be able to give services to the almost 512 million inhabitants of the European Union ‘without undue administrative burdens’.

As an example of the present state of affairs, Jesper Karrbrink (pictured), Chief Executive Officer for Stockholm-headquartered Mr Green and Company AB, reportedly comprehensive that fundamental rules such as the minimum gambling age differ between nations in the European Union.  As such, taxpayers can gamble at 18 at the United Kingdom, France and Germany while their counterparts in Greece must wait another five years prior to legally placing a bet.

Karrbrink reportedly told European Gambling Media and Events…

“We are having an electronic revolution. Online gaming companies have extra responsibility for players and consumers, especially for the population of players. We need corporate direction and regulations which reflect the digital world we live in. We’re among the few industries which are asking for more regulation, so our clients should have more protection than other consumers. This is not true today.

‘Level playing field’ wants:

Maris Bonello, Head of Player Sustainability, Research and Integrity for Maltese iGaming company Kindred Group, reportedly echoed Karrbrink’s view by proclaiming that ‘a sensible level playing field for internet gambling law is necessary ’ after the upcoming European Commission is appointed following parliamentary elections which are scheduled for May 23.