Press Releases

04.09.2019

BRUSSELS, 04 September 2019 - A new study by the European Parliament has found that deepening EU digital single market (DSM) rules to include online gambling could deliver nearly €6 billion in savings for EU consumers and businesses per year and fill existing gaps in Europe’s consumer protection framework. The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) welcomes the findings and calls on EU policy makers to introduce a single set of rules for online gambling. The study[1], presented to the Parliament’s Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee (IMCO) during its session on 2-3 September, evaluated the benefits of existing DSM measures and outlined the potential economic benefits for citizens and businesses by further deepening DSM policies. The study found that the EU could potentially generate €5.6 billion per year in societal welfare and consumer benefits by including online gambling – a sector worth €20 billion per year – in the...

28.05.2019

Following the recent European elections, the political focus in Brussels is now firmly on who will get which of the EU’s top jobs. With intense debate about who will become the much-coveted President of the next European Commission, the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) brings you the latest odds from the betting markets for the Spitzenkandidaten race. The betting odds are displayed as ratios and forecasted percentage win probability. Also indicated are the changes to the betting odds compared to October 2018, when the market opened.   Betting odds - Next EU Commission President (Source: Ladbrokes) Manfred Weber (EPP) – 2/1 (33.3%). Improved from 2/1 (33.3%) in October 2018. Michel Barnier (EPP) – 3/1 (25%). Improved from 16/1 (5.9%) in October 2018. Margrethe Vestager (ALDE) – 3/1 (25%). Improved from 20/1 (4.8%) in October 2018. Frans Timmermans (S&D) – 8/1 (11.1%). Improved from 25/1 (3.8%) in October 2018. Other...

27.05.2019

Brussels, Today – European Economy ministers have called on the European Commission to propose measures to modernise Europe’s single market to make it fit for purpose in the digital age. The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) welcomes the Competitiveness Council’s conclusions and urges the incoming European Commission and Parliament to ensure Europe’s online consumers are put at the center of EU single market policies. Making the single market work for online consumers fundamentally requires the European Commission to act when Member States do not correctly apply existing single market rules in the online world. Unfortunately, the current European Commission has failed to fully enforce the freedom to provide services in many online sectors - including online gambling where in 2017 it decided to shelve infringement cases in the sector. This political decision has been to the detriment of the many Europeans who like to place a bet online, who...

22.03.2019

Brussels, 22 March 2019– Today the European Council meeting in Brussels invited the Commission to come forward with a long-term action plan for better implementation and enforcement of Europe's Single Market rules. The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) welcomes the Council’s statement and urges the incoming European Commission and Parliament to focus on ensuring the Single Market rules are better implemented and enforced to benefit European consumers, particularly in the online environment. The Council’s conclusions are timely and justified. Despite the Digital Single Market being high up the political agenda over the past years, it has not been sufficiently developed to enable Europe’s citizens to benefit from the full potential of a truly functional and integrated online Single Market. The Council aims to correct this with its call on the Commission, as Guardian of the Treaties, to focus on ensuring that the existing rules and freedoms of the Single Market are...

19.02.2019

Netherlands - Today the Dutch Senate approved an online gambling law for the Netherlands, bringing the Netherlands into line with 25 other EU countries who already regulate the activity. The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA), representing Europe’s leading online gambling companies, welcomes the adoption of the new law as an important step to establish a functioning and well-regulated online gambling market which protects online players. Online gambling is popular in the Netherlands, with 1.8 million Dutch citizens[1] – over 10% of the country’s total population – participating in some form of online gambling last year. But the Netherlands is one of three EU countries (IRE, NL, SLO) that currently do not have any regulation for online gambling. The absence of regulation means there are no Dutch-licensed gambling websites, leaving its citizens to play on websites not regulated by the Dutch authorities - where there is no guarantee of adequate consumer...

18.02.2019

Brussels, Today - The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA), representing Europe’s leading online gambling companies, welcomes today’s conclusions of the Competitiveness Council of the European Union on Artificial Intelligence (AI). EGBA believes that AI, if exploited effectively, could have massive benefits for the online gambling sector in strengthening existing measures for identity verification, player protection and fraud prevention. The Competitiveness Council’s conclusions underline the importance of encouraging the development and use of AI in Europe by increasing investment and strengthening research and innovation. The conclusions are part of a broader EU policy debate about the future development and use of AI, which has been initiated by the European Commission and will likely continue into the mandate of the new European Parliament and European Commission. EGBA fully supports the need for an EU policy on AI to fully harness the many benefits of AI and safeguard against its risks. This...