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The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) has welcomed the positive outcome of the vote on the draft European standard on markers of harm in the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN). An overwhelming majority of national standardisation bodies voted in favour of the standard, representing a significant milestone for player protection in Europe.

“The positive outcome of this vote is a real testament to the power of collaboration across our sector,” said Maarten Haijer, Secretary General of EGBA. “When EGBA first proposed this initiative to CEN, we envisioned creating a commonly agreed standard that would benefit players across Europe. We’re delighted with the support the standard has received, and I want to personally thank all the stakeholders who participated in this process. The result shows what happens when we work together to strengthen player protection.”

“After years of driving this project, through its conception and development, seeing the overwhelming support it has received is incredibly rewarding. This will be the first commonly agreed European standard for identifying risky gambling behaviours and it will offer an essential building block for effective harm prevention in Europe. The cooperation to develop the standard was extremely valuable, bringing together diverse expertise from across the continent,” said Vasiliki Panousi, Senior Manager of EU Affairs at EGBA.

The voting process closed on 25 September. While the outcome of the vote is a significant milestone, the standard must now go through the formal CEN finalisation process before it will be published. This process can take several months, and includes language translations and other procedural requirements. The finalisation process is expected to be complete by early 2026.

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The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has published the second annual report from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB), the world’s largest dedicated study of gambling participation, behaviours and consequences.

Produced by National Centre for Social Research and University of Glasgow the survey has undergone independent review and complements the Commission’s wider exploration of gambling in Britain through a range of research and data.

Key findings in this year’s report include:

• overall, 48% of adults aged 18+ in Great Britain have gambled in the last 4 weeks, decreasing to 28% when those who had only bought tickets for a lottery draw were excluded

• 42% of adults who gambled in the past 12 months rated the last time they gambled positively, compared to 21% who rated it negatively. For the chance of winning big money was the main reason why people gamble (85%) followed by because gambling is fun (72%)

• in 2024, 2.7% of adults aged 18+ in Great Britain scored 8+ on the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), which is statistically stable compared to 2023.

Recent research published by Professor Patrick Sturgis to further understand the impact of methodology on survey estimates has strengthened confidence in the robustness of GSGB estimates.

The large survey sample size – 19,714 respondents – has enabled the Commission to publish two supplementary reports into risk profiles among people who gamble on a weekly basis and the potential negative consequences of gambling.

The first report highlights the risk profiles among people who gamble on a weekly basis. These findings show that levels of risk vary not only between gambling products, but also within product categories themselves – underlining the need for operators to take account of risks within their customer bases.

The second report broadens understanding of the potential negative consequences of gambling. The findings reinforce evidence from earlier qualitative research indicating gambling can simultaneously impact multiple aspects of a person’s life such as their relationships with others and their health.

The new release complement other research published by the Commission over the last year including:

• four quarterly publications tracking participation in gambling

• a deep dive report written by the University of Glasgow to investigate the relationship between reasons for gambling and different gambling activities

• a deep dive report written by the University of Glasgow to explore the relationship between gambling activities and PGSI scores

• findings of new research exploring people’s experiences of gambling consequences

• its response to Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) review of the GSGB

• experimental research findings on why different gambling surveys produce different estimates.

Andrew Rhodes, Chief Executive of the Gambling Commission, said: “The Gambling Survey for Great Britain is a key building block of the evidence base which helps government, industry and other partners understand both gambling behaviour and potential consequences from gambling.

“This year’s findings deepen our understanding of consequences from gambling and provide crucial insight into risk profiles among those who gamble most frequently. We strongly encourage operators to use this evidence to consider the risks within their own customer bases.

“Data and research, such as GSGB, is essential to helping us identify where our regulatory focus should be and informs our ongoing work to implement player protection recommendations from the Gambling Act Review White Paper.

“We have already introduced light-touch financial vulnerability checks on those spending £150 a month, reduced the intensity of all online games by banning autoplay and slowing game speed, and tightened age verification in premises.

“We’ve also banned potentially harmful marketing offers involving consumers having to carry out two or more types of gambling, such as betting and playing slots, and limited the number of times bonus funds must be re-staked before a consumer can withdraw winnings.”

He continued: “From the end of this month [31 October] our new rules will give consumer controls over deposit limits and all gambling businesses must prompt their customers to set a financial limit before they make their first deposit.”

“In the land-based sector, we are also considering time and monetary limit setting functionality and safer gambling messaging on machines.

“In addition, we have been piloting enhanced frictionless financial risk assessments for those spending £1,000 within 24 hours or £2,000 within 90 days. We are currently analysing the data gathered during the pilot examining data-sharing between credit reference agencies and gambling businesses.”

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Amusnet, a leading global gaming content provider, has announced a new partnership with Mr Bit, a dynamic online casino brand. This collaboration marks Amusnet’s strategic entry into the newly regulated market of Bosnia and Herzegovina, bringing its portfolio of popular games to Mr Bit’s platform.

“Entering the Bosnian and Herzegovinian market with a strong partner like Mr Bit is a significant step in our European expansion strategy. We are confident that our diverse portfolio of high-quality slots will resonate with Mr Bit’s dynamic player base and contribute to our mutual success in this exciting new market,” said Dimitar Nacev, Sales Specialist at Amusnet.

The new partnership will see a wide selection of Amusnet’s top-performing titles go live on the mrbit.ba website, which offers a vibrant, user-friendly experience. Players in Bosnia and Herzegovina will now have access to various engaging games, including favourites such as 40 Power Hot Dice, 10 Power Hot, Bulky Fruits, 100 Bulky Fruits and Extra Crown.

“Mr Bit officially enters the market of Bosnia and Herzegovina, bringing a fresh perspective on online entertainment. Our mission is to offer the local audience a licensed casino with a dynamic design, a huge selection of slots, and sports/esports betting. We’ve created a user-friendly platform available in both Bosnian and English, and we are ready to become a part of the gaming community of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Our strategy is built on strong local engagement and responsible gaming practices, ensuring a safe and fair experience for everyone,” said Maja Kečkeš, Head of Marketing for BiH at Mr Bit Casino.

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