Regulators from 14 EU member states have written to the European Commission (EC) calling for the reinstatement of the EU Gambling Expert Group.
The move is spearheaded by the European Gambling and Betting Association (EGBA), which said the reinstatement of the group would help "encourage and support a more common and unified" approach to regulation across Europe.
The group, which previously served as a platform to facilitate the exchange of information between regulators, was responsible for the 2014 EU recommendation on consumer protection in online gambling, which still serves as guidance for EU operators.
However, in 2018 it was disbanded by the European Commission despite a good reputation for building cooperation between regulators.
According to the EGBA, its absence has led to disproportions in cooperation between EU member states in the field of gambling compared to other industries throughout the EU.
“The European gambling market is valued at €100 billion annually and is played by many millions of Europeans, but the lack of an expert panel means that, unlike any other consumer market, there is currently no formal basis for regulatory cooperation at the EU level.” EGBA said.
EGBA Secretary General Maarten Hayer has long advocated for the introduction of a cross-border regulatory framework for the gambling industry across the EU in order to facilitate commonality between jurisdictions as well as strengthen consumer protection.
“Currently there is no framework within the EU to allow gambling regulators to even communicate, let alone address together the major issues affecting the online gambling sector in Europe. Most of these problems are cross-border in nature and require common solutions,” Hyger explained.
“We therefore welcome the strong commitment to regulatory cooperation and the call to action from most of Europe's gambling regulators.
“The message from the European Commission is clear: both gambling regulators and the sector itself are united in support of the Expert Group and call on the Commission to re-establish the Expert Group,” he added.
Haijer's call was echoed by KSA Chairman René Jansen, who said: “Of course, we all need to be guided by different sets of laws, rules and regulations.
“However, in general, all regulators have the same goal: to protect consumers, prevent gambling addiction and fight illegal practices.
“Different sets of laws in each country mean that effective and efficient information sharing is vital. We also need to show operators of illegal gambling establishments that strong cross-border action is being taken against them,” the head of the KSA concluded.
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