Europe Protects Online Gamblers

The European Committee for Standardization, known as CEN, has published the first pan-European agreement to protect consumers of online and mobile gaming.

The document, titled “Responsible Remote Gambling Measures,” defines nine policy objectives for the protection of online players in the European Union and lists 134 concrete measures to ensure that those objectives are met.

The policy objectives are protection of vulnerable customers, prevention of underage gambling, combating fraud, protection of privacy, fair gaming, accurate customer payments, responsible marketing, customer satisfaction and safe operating environment.

The agreement, CWA 16259, shows consensus across a wide range of remote gambling stakeholders, including experts on problem gambling, players, industry representatives and addiction and criminology academics.

Andrew Beveridge, who chaired the SEN workshop that created the document and who also serves as CEO of online gaming industry advocate eCOGRA, said, “Over the last seven months, CEN has provided the platform for us to make this agreement to secure the high level of protection for consumers across Europe that is vital for the online gambling industry as it matures. eCOGRA intends to bring into line its own eGAP requirements with these CWA control measures, thereby benefiting eCOGRA, its sealholders and players.”

CEN consists of 31 national members who work together to develop voluntary European standards in various sectors to build a European internal market for goods and services and to position Europe in the global economy. More than 60,000 technical experts as well as business federations, consumer and other societal interest organizations are involved in the CEN network, which reaches over 480 million people.