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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.

The post EGBA Welcomes Approval of European Standard on Markers of Harm appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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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.”

The post UKGC Publishes Second Annual Report from Gambling Survey for Great Britain appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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eGaming Integrity is delighted to announce the appointment of Robert Penfold as Head of Internal Audit, further strengthening the firm’s ability to support Isle of Man licence holders in responding to increasing regulatory scrutiny and upholding the island’s reputation for integrity.

Robert brings with him more than two decades of high-level experience in governance, risk, audit, and compliance across global gaming and financial services organisations. Most notably, Robert spent over eight years as Director of Internal Audit & Risk at Playtech plc, the world’s largest online gaming software and services supplier listed on the London Stock Exchange. In this role, he was a member of Playtech’s Audit, Risk and Governance Committees, overseeing global audit programmes and supporting the business in meeting complex regulatory requirements across multiple jurisdictions.

Robert has also held senior positions at bwin.party digital entertainment plc, where he led global risk management across regulated markets including Spain, Denmark, Italy, Belgium, France, and Gibraltar. More recently, he was engaged as Governance, Risk & Compliance Manager at the Isle of Man Government’s Attorney General Chambers, where he implemented new risk frameworks and data governance processes across multiple divisions.

Emma Shilling, Director at eGaming Integrity, commented: “This is a landmark appointment for us. Robert’s depth of experience, particularly his years at the helm of audit and risk at Playtech, represents a real step change for eGaming Integrity and our clients. His appointment evidences our commitment to providing heavyweight, board-level expertise to Isle of Man licence holders at a time when regulatory scrutiny has never been higher.”

Robert Penfold added: “I’m thrilled to be joining eGaming Integrity at such a pivotal time for the sector. I’ve spent much of my career working to ensure organisations not only meet regulatory requirements but build strong, resilient frameworks that protect their businesses and customers. I look forward to working with Emma and the team to help our clients strengthen their compliance and governance cultures.”

Robert’s appointment adds further depth to eGaming Integrity’s team of industry experts and former regulators, reinforcing its position as the Isle of Man’s leading provider of mock audits, remediation, and internal audit services for the island’s eGaming licence holders.

The post Former Playtech Director of Internal Audit & Risk Joins eGaming Integrity appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.