Consumer protection: progress made by EU Member States but significant gaps remain

According to a new study published by the City, University of London (CUL), consumer protection rules for online gambling have been strengthened in at least 10 EU member states since 2018, but significant fragmentation and gaps remain.
The study reviewed specific aspects of the consumer protection rules in EU Members States such as: know your customer requirements, the protection of minors, safer gambling and treatment support, and assessed whether these rules are becoming similar or not.

The study, commissioned by the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA), concluded that while most member states have adopted similar approaches towards customer protection, there are significant differences in how national rules are designed or implemented and in some member states specific protection rules for online gambling are missing. According to the study, 16 member states have established a national self-exclusion register for online gambling, but how gamblers are added to these registers and the duration of their self-exclusion varies significantly. And not all of them have rules which prohibit gambling advertising being sent to those who are self-excluded. “We welcome the progress made in strengthening the consumer protection rules in EU member states. In several areas, regulatory principles are converging, but there is increasing fragmentation in how the rules are implemented and this creates a complicated compliance and enforcement map of Europe’s gambling regulators and operators, while evidently also not benefiting the consumer”, commented Maarten Haijer, EGBA’s Secretary General. Before adding: “While regulations and enforcement are extremely important, the study also highlights that more could be done to strengthen prevention measures and ensure that those who are affected by harm are signposted to relevant helplines and treatment centers.”