EGBA encourages Romania to establish gambling self-exclusion register

• EGBA supported the establishment of a national self-exclusion register for gambling in Romania
• The Association's Secretary General spoke during a recent meeting with lawmakers
• EGBA highlighted a number of recommendations for the establishment of a gambling self-exclusion register

The Brussels-based trade association representing licensed and regulated gambling operators in the European Union, the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA), supported the implementation of a national self-exclusion register for gambling in Romania.

EGBA submits recommendations for gambling self-exclusion

The call for the establishment of a gambling self-exclusion register came during a recent meeting at the Romanian Parliament.

The aforementioned event was organized by AOJND, the Romanian online gambling association, and included a range of industry stakeholders.

Interviewed by Atena 3, a leading Romanian news outlet, EGBA's Secretary General, Maarten Haijer, acknowledged the importance of establishing an effective gambling self-exclusion scheme in the country.

Notably, EGBA pointed to a range of recommended steps required for the effectiveness of a self-exclusion framework.

The Association explained that a national gambling self-exclusion system needs to be easily accessible and user friendly.

At the same time, the gambling self-exclusion framework needs to be GDPR compliant and hosted on a government website.

Ensuring the protection of Romanian gamblers who want to self-exclude from the activity, the framework needs to apply to all licensed operators in the country, regardless of whether online or land-based.

Such a gambling self-exclusion program needs to be accessible via gambling platforms and must be fail-proof and effective in real time.

EGBA's recommendations point to the establishment of clear minimum and maximum time periods when it comes to gambling self-exclusion.

The regulations must also direct consumers to sources that can provide them with information and support.

Not unexpectedly, players registered with the gambling self-exclusion scheme must be removed from the gambling operators' marketing databases.

"Establishing a self-exclusion framework based on these European best practices would provide a crucial safety net for Romanian players," EGBA explains.

More than a dozen European countries have already implemented national gambling self-exclusion

Recently, the Association hailed the record use of responsible gambling tools in Europe.

Per a recent EGBA report, some 65% of the player base have used responsible gambling tools. The aforementioned figure represents 21m people and marks a new record.

EGBA's recommendation in Romania doesn't come as a surprise, considering that a total of 17 EU countries have already implemented a national self-exclusion register for gambling.

The establishment of such a scheme is proven to decrease gambling-related risks and harm, ensuring the protection of consumers from the negative impact of the activity.

In March, the Association released a new report highlighting that the European online gambling market represents 40% of the total gross gaming revenue.

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