It’s been a long time coming for the introduction of an EU-wide international player protection standard, and thanks to collaborative efforts spearheaded by the European Betting and Gaming Association (EGBA), the publication of a full set of guidelines is now set in stone.
Earlier in the week, the final version of the European Standard on markers of harm in gambling (EN 18144) was released by the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN).
Although voluntary, the document is being treated by EGBA and its members as a necessary baseline for gambling operators across Europe to build their player protection frameworks around.
The guidelines identify a total of nine core markers revolving around player behaviour that gambling providers can use to inform their safer play policies and intervene when a risk pattern is detected.
According to the document, tracking should prioritise shifts in stake volume and frequency, speed/intensity of play, deposit frequency and size, withdrawals, player-initiated contact, gaming session durations, the use of multiple gambling products, accumulated net losses and loss projections, as well as the interaction with all available safety tools like deposit limits or self-exclusions.
Maarten Haijer, Secretary General of EGBA, commented: “This is an important milestone for player protection in Europe. When widely adopted, this voluntary standard will lead to earlier identification of risky play and, ultimately, better protection for players.
“Our members are ahead of the curve on implementation – they are already applying many aspects of the standard and are committed to alignment across their European operations. We encourage other operators to adopt the standard and help raise the bar on player protection across Europe.”
Years in the making for CEN and EGBA
Efforts to bring this important milestone into fruition began back in 2022, when CEN was introduced to the proposal by EGBA.
Since then, the gambling trade body has been actively collaborating with European operators, national authorities, academics and harm prevention specialists, the work of which culminated in October 2025 when the standard was approved by CEN and its participating national bodies.
As mentioned earlier, the standard is not a mandatory requirement but a voluntary tool, which aims to complement existing national regulatory frameworks and supplement player protection safeguards according to each European jurisdiction’s gambling laws.
Those interested in the standard can access it directly from CEN’s website.
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