A European standard on markers of harm would support the early identification of possible risky or problem gambling behavior of online players, according to a standardization proposal that the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) has submitted to the European Committee for Standardization (CEN). EGBA believes that a reliable, consistent list of markers of harm is essential for preventing gambling-related damage in Europe.
The entity responsible for developing standards in Europe, CEN is currently conducting a ballot of its members, the national standardization bodies (NSBs) of European countries, to determine whether the proposal should be approved. NSBs have until the end of December 2022 to vote. If the proposal is adopted, relevant stakeholders, including academics, health experts, authorities, operators, and consumer organizations, will be able to participate in the discussions to develop the standard.
Importantly, this week, a group of leading academics signed a joint letter of support for the markers of harm standard, indicating that its development would encourage research collaboration to improve the understanding of problem gambling and support harm prevention in Europe.
In this sense, EGBA commends all gambling sector stakeholders, particularly gambling authorities, to support the standardization proposal. The Association is committed to promoting a strong culture of safer gambling and believes that creating a standardized list of markers of harm would benefit all stakeholders.
Maarten Haijer, Secretary General, EGBA, declared: “We urge national standardization bodies, gambling authorities, and other stakeholders to support this common-sense proposal to jointly develop a standard on markers of harm in Europe. A standard would be an essential element to help prevent risky and problem gambling behavior and support consumer protection. The process to develop the standard would bring together the knowledge and expertise of academics, researchers, harm prevention experts and other stakeholders to work collaboratively towards the common purpose of preventing gambling-related harm.”