The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) has expressed delight from the recent EU vote in favour of a national standardisation for markers of harm.

During a voting session hosted by the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN), a majority of national standardisation bodies agreed that such a measure is necessary to further protect the EU population from gambling harm.

Given that EGBA has been pushing for such a standardisation for a number of years now, the organisation was quick to congratulate all voting parties.

“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.”

Gratitude on behalf of EGBA was specifically extended to Dr Maris Catania, Standartisation Project Lead, and the French standards body AFNOR for its role of coordinating the project with CEN.

“After years of driving this project, through its conception and development, seeing the overwhelming support it has received is incredibly rewarding,” said Vasiliki Panousi, Senior Manager of EU Affairs at EGBA. 

“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.”

Voting closed on 25 September, with the formal finalisation process now underway at CEN. This is expected to conclude early in 2026. 

Of note, the standard will be voluntary for implementation, but it will nevertheless serve as a vital tool for operators across Europe to take player protection on to the next level.