Maarten Haijer Discusses European Gambling Regulation on iGamingCare Podcast

24.10.2025

Maarten Haijer, Secretary General of EGBA, recently joined Prof. Dr. Andreas Ditsche, CEO of iGamingCare, for a wide-ranging discussion about online gambling regulation in Europe.

During the podcast, Maarten reflected on nearly two decades of regulatory development in Europe’s online gambling sector, drawing on his experience from his early career in the Dutch civil service through to his current leadership role at EGBA.

The discussion explored topics such as regulation, industry sustainability, the risks posed by black market operators, and the importance of collaboration on safer gambling. Maarten shared insights on the use of technology to interact with and protect players, noting that EGBA members sent 100 million safer gambling messages to their customers in 2024.

Maarten emphasised the importance of keeping regulated markets attractive to players, warning that overly restrictive regulations risk pushing people toward unregulated operators and undermining the purpose of regulation.

Maarten also highlighted the upcoming European Safer Gambling Week 2025 (17–23 November), the annual pan-European campaign organised by EGBA to raise awareness about safer gambling and reinforce a strong culture of player protection.

Watch the full conversation on YouTube below.