United we stand: how the EGBA is working to unite EU regulations under one banner
In a two-part Q&A, EGR Compliance chats to the head of the European Gaming and Betting Association, Maarten Haijer, about the challenges of supranational gambling legislation and how the pan-European trade body is working to level the playing field for EU operators
EGR ComplianceEGR Compliance: What would you define as the core mission statement of the EGBA?Maarten Haijer (MH): EGR Compliance: Can you explain a little bit more about the makeup of the EGBA and its day-to-day activities?MHEGR Compliance: How does the decision-making process work regarding what you’re going to lobby on? Is it a case of your board members giving you directives as to what to pursue?MHEGR Compliance: How have your operations been changed by the Covid-19 pandemic?MHEGR Compliance: The EGBA has developed a code of conduct for gambling advertising, together with codes relating to data protection and GDPR over the last 12 months. What are you working on now in terms of best practice documentation?MH[quote]How do we show the outside world that we do care about society and we’re not just there to make a quick buck, put a lot of ads out on TV and not be responsive to concerns in society?[/quote]EGR Compliance: The monitoring regime sounds interesting. Could you provide more information on the timetable for that to be set up and what it will look for?MHEGR Compliance: Will individuals be able to report gambling ads?MHEGR Compliance: The EGBA is very active in terms of voicing its concerns about legislation, and it argued against regulatory changes in several key jurisdictions including Germany, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands over the last year. Why is it so important to you to maintain that active voice by weighing in on changes to regulation?MHEGR Compliance: What are your objectives for the coming year?MH