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EGBA Pitches ‘Online Gambling 2.0’ To European Commission

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The European Commission’s guidelines on consumer protection for online gambling have failed to achieve their primary objective and should be replaced with new attempts at harmonisation, the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) has told European lawmakers.

 

Commission Recommendation 2014/478/EU was designed to establish a high bar of minimum consumer protection standards across Europe. However, varying national interests and the recommendation’s voluntary nature have seen it unable to achieve its primary aim, said researcher Dr Margaret Carran and the EGBA at an event held at the European Parliament on Tuesday.

The trade group said it wants to encourage a “high level of consumer protection” across Europe and see national gambling authorities provided with a “coherent cooperation framework”, something it believes the commission’s recommendation has failed to achieve.

Other aims include having the compliance of national gambling regulations with EU law “fully enforced” and for regulated online operators to be able to offer their services “without undue administrative burdens”.

The European Commission controversially announced in December 2017 that it was dropping all online gambling enforcement cases, leaving key decisions about compliance with EU law to the national courts.

As of now, the EGBA is calling on the commission to “urgently” review the implementation of its recommendation, according to a manifesto entitled “An EU framework for Online Gambling 2.0″.

“If we think they [the European Commission] wanted to achieve harmonisation, the recommendation has not done so. State-to-state regulations are extremely divergent. Even if regulation appears to be similar, in detail they are still very different,” said Carran.

She added that although the recommendation has produced some positive results, it has been unsuccessful in its “nudges” to encourage member states to enforce it.

Discussing the report with GamblingCompliance, Carran said: “This issue of inconsistency must be highlighted for both the consumer and operators.

“As of now there is no consensus on what the regulatory balance should be. Some countries might see enforcement issues such as advertising as beneficial to their state, but others do not.”

“There are various issues in creating a European consensus, but this is what is required in order to create consistent regulation across gambling markets,” she said.

Despite the recommendation being voluntary, Belgium went so far as to launch a legal challenge to block it, highlighting the difficulty of establishing any regulations that would be enforceable across the EU.

However, as recently as last month, Belgian Gaming Commission director Peter Naessens was chosen as the head of a CEN standardisation project that would introduce similar voluntary guidelines for online gambling reporting.

The project is seen by the EGBA and other trade groups as another method of pushing the European Commission towards harmonisation, with an eye towards European elections and a new commission next year.

However, Carran said she does not believe that “voluntarily there is any chance” of achieving continental consistency in online gambling regulation.

As it stands, consumer protection still varies greatly from state to state in Europe. Even fundamental issues such as minimum gambling age have not yet been agreed across the continent.

“We are experiencing a digital revolution. Online gaming companies have extra responsibility for players and consumers, especially for the population of problem gamblers,” said Jesper Kärrbrink, the CEO of Mr Green, also speaking at the event in Brussels.

“We need corporate leadership and regulations that reflect the digital world we are living in. We are one of the few industries that are asking for more regulation, our customers should have more protection than other consumers. This is not the case today,” he said.

Maris Bonello, head of player sustainability, research and integrity for Kindred Group, echoed Karrbrink’s sentiment, claiming a “practical level playing field for online gambling regulation is needed”.

The call for more regulation did not go unheard, garnering a response from European commissioner for justice Vera Jourova.

“It’s not very often to hear we want more regulation, but we have to do smart and proportionate regulation. We do not want to over regulate. But, online must not become a jungle,” said Jourova.

However, she was reluctant to commit to the introduction of additional European online gambling regulation, instead insisting that countries should simply apply existing laws, as the “rules are still relevant”.


Source: Latest News on European Gaming Media Network

George Miller (Gyorgy Molnar) started his career in content marketing and has started working as an Editor/Content Manager for our company in 2016. George has acquired many experiences when it comes to interviews and newsworthy content becoming Head of Content in 2017. He is responsible for the news being shared on multiple websites that are part of the European Gaming Media Network.

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Swiss Casinos secures ISO 14001 certification

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Land-based and online casino operator meeting the highest environmental standards with plans to further reduce its footprint and impact

Swiss Casinos, the renowned multi-channel casino operator in Switzerland, has secured ISO 14001 certification as part of wider ESG efforts.

ISO 14001 is an internationally recognised standard for Environmental Management Systems and sets out requirements for organisations to meet to systematically improve environmental performance.

The framework it sets out allows companies to identify, control and continuously reduce their impacts on the environment.

By receiving ISO 14001 certification, Swiss Casinos has proved that it meets requirements and standards for its Environmental Policy, Planning, Implementation, Monitoring and Measurement, as well as Corrective Actions and Continuous Improvement.

It’s also a testament to Swiss Casino’s commitment to actively reducing its environmental footprint while complying with all relevant environmental regulations.

By adhering to the ISO 14001 framework, organisations such as Swiss Casinos can benefit from cost savings, an enhanced corporate image and better alignment with customers and stakeholders.

Marcel Tobler, Chief Executive Officer at Swiss Casinos, said: “We are delighted to have received ISO 14001 certification and to meet the standards and requirements set within its framework.

“Our commitment to the environment is a deep as it is authentic, and we have long been working towards reducing our impact on the environment while improving environmental performance.

“The team has done an incredible job of not only meeting the standards set under ISO 14001 but exceeding them, ensuring Swiss Casinos sets the standard for others to follow.

“Of course, our work does not stop here, and we will continue to ensure we are doing all we can to maximise environmental performance and reduce the impact we have on the wonderful world around us.”

Swiss Casinos currently operates four casinos in Zürich, St. Gallen, Pfäffikon and Schaffhausen, although later this year it will replace its Schaffhausen property with a new state-of-the-art casino in Winterthur.

In addition to its retail properties, Swiss Casinos operates the most profitable online casino in the country, swisscasinos.ch.

The post Swiss Casinos secures ISO 14001 certification appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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EGBA Presses for Implementation of National Self-Exclusion Measures in Romania

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Maarten Haijer, Secretary General of EGBA, recently spoke with Antena 3, one of Romania’s leading news channels about safer gambling in Romania.

In the interview, Maarten outlined our recommendation that Romania establishes a national self-exclusion register for gambling—a crucial player protection measure already implemented in 17 EU member states. The interview was conducted at a recent event held at the Romanian Parliament organised by the Romanian online gambling association (AOJND).

EGBA’s recommendations for Romania

At that meeting, EGBA underlined its recommendation that Romania introduces a comprehensive gambling self-exclusion framework, and recommended that the system should:

  • Apply to all licensees (land-based and online gambling operators).
  • Be accessible through a user-friendly, GDPR-compliant, government website.
  • Be clearly communicated and made accessible via gambling platforms.
  • Apply in real-time and be fail proof.
  • Have clear minimum and maximum time periods for the self-exclusion duration.
  • Ensure registered players receive information on where to seek support.
  • Require operators to remove self-excluded players from marketing databases.

Establishing a self-exclusion framework based on these European best practices would provide a crucial safety net for Romanian players.

 

Source: EGBA

The post EGBA Presses for Implementation of National Self-Exclusion Measures in Romania appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Relax Gaming appoints Angela van den Berg as General Counsel

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Relax Gaming, the renowned iGaming aggregator and supplier, has bolstered its global leadership team with the appointment of Angela van den Berg as General Counsel.

With 17 years of experience advising iGaming companies, Angela brings with her a wealth of commercial, corporate and intellectual property law expertise and will help drive the Relax Gaming during a significant stage of its development and growth.

Angela’s legal career spans over more than two decades across various international jurisdictions, where she has served as partner in private legal practice and as in-house counsel in the iGaming industry.

In her most recent role as Chief Legal Officer for Games Global, she was instrumental in setting up the global corporate group and she established the group’s legal function and global legal strategy, solidifying her leadership in the industry.

Based in Relax Gaming’s Isle of Man office, Angela will be responsible for leading the legal function and managing the group’s legal affairs. She will work closely with the business to provide strategic advice on all facets of the business operations to support advancing the company’s goals and its growth strategy across global markets.

In addition to her role, Angela is also the Chair of Love Tech, an Isle of Man registered charity which is dedicated to inspiring and mentoring the next generation of women in STEM, aligning with her passion for empowerment in the technology sphere through education and mentorship.

Commenting on the new appointment, Martin Stålros, CEO at Relax Gaming, said: “We are delighted to welcome Angela to Relax Gaming. She brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the executive team and I look forward to working with her as she reinforces Relax Gaming’s commitment to strong legal responsibility and compliance.”

Angela van den Berg, General Counsel at Relax Gaming, added: “It is an honour to be joining Relax Gaming at this exciting part of the group’s journey. I am looking forward to working with the incredible team at Relax and to support the business as it continues to grow as an acclaimed and esteemed player in the iGaming industry.”

The post Relax Gaming appoints Angela van den Berg as General Counsel appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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