With the boom of online and land-based casino in the European Union, many saw a market full of opportunity, but because of the lack of regulation, quite a few unfair businesses decided to take advantage. In the early 2010’s, a need arose for the release of a European Union-wide legislation that would regulate all forms of gambling, and a few years later one such resolution was released by the European Parliament. It included clauses that defined the online gambling sector as well as consumer protection and the EU commissions that were going to oversee everything.
The Work is Too Much for One Agency
Because of the complexity of analysing, evaluating, and regulating online gambling, several commissions were recognized by the European Union to perform those duties. While some are created by executive order from the European Parliament, others have proven to be more than reliant to provide the appropriate regulatory services. Below, we have listed some of the organizations that work together with the European Commission.
EGBA
The main institution that deals with the representation and regulation of gambling and gaming operators throughout Europe, is EGBA (European Gaming & Betting Association). It is renowned for having an extensive intelligence network which includes Gambling Commissions from Malta, Gibraltar, and the United Kingdom. Additionally, EGBA is partnered with a number of other commissions and authorities which are connected to the sports and gaming sector.
EU Sports Security Association
Also known as ESSA, this governing body is tasked with preserving the integrity of every official sports event, by taking all necessary measures needed to prevent match-fixing. ESSA is in constant cooperation with various institutions that perform gambling activity regulation as well as sports governing bodies, including the European Gambling & Betting Association.
What makes ESSA highly efficient in its work is its incredible information network that spans not only on the territory of the EU but in other countries as well. ESSA holds a renowned position within the ranks of the European Commission, the Olympic Committee, and the Council of Europe. Today, the European Sports Security Association continues to protect sports competitions from being manipulated.
Additional Duties of the European Commission
Besides being connected to highly efficient organizations, the European Commission also organizes workshops on a regular basis, in order to introduce additional regulatory strategies or raise awareness among its colleagues on any potential issues. Some of the workshop topics include the detection and prevention of gambling addiction in online gambling, system and revenue distribution in online gambling, national enforcement measures and administrative cooperation, and others.
The EU Commission Constantly Becomes Better
With an online gambling market that amounts to more than €80 billion, changes in technology and market standards happen very fast, and this is why it is important for any type of regulatory institution to be modernized. The European Commission takes this very seriously, releasing annual reports about necessary changes that other organizations have to make in order to remain properly relevant and capable in their work.