The EGBA urges Romania to create a self-exclusion registry for gambling.

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

During a recent meeting at the Romanian Parliament, there was a call to create a gambling self-exclusion register. This event was organized by AOJND, the Romanian online gambling association, and involved various industry stakeholders. Maarten Haijer, the Secretary General of the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA), emphasized in an interview with Atena 3, a prominent Romanian news outlet, the importance of implementing an effective self-exclusion scheme in Romania. EGBA highlighted several recommended steps to ensure the self-exclusion program's success. They stressed that the system needs to be both easily accessible and user-friendly, while also being GDPR compliant and hosted on a government website. The framework should protect Romanian gamblers looking to self-exclude by applying to all licensed operators in the country, whether online or land-based. The program must be accessible through gambling platforms and function effectively in real time. EGBA also suggested setting clear minimum and maximum durations for self-exclusion and ensuring regulations direct consumers to sources of information and support. Importantly, registered players must be removed from gambling operators' marketing databases to prevent solicitation. By adopting these European best practices for a self-exclusion framework, EGBA believes it would provide a vital safety net for Romanian players.

Recently, the Association praised the record usage of responsible gambling tools in Europe. According to a recent report by the EGBA, about 65% of the player base has utilized responsible gambling tools. This figure, representing 21 million people, sets a new record. EGBA's recommendations in Romania were expected, as 17 EU countries have already adopted a national self-exclusion register for gambling. Implementing such a system has been proven to reduce gambling-related risks and harm, effectively protecting consumers from the negative impacts of gambling. In March, the Association released a report indicating that the European online gambling market accounts for 40% of the total gross gaming revenue.