CEOs from some of Europe’s largest gambling operators have penned a joint letter calling for “smarter, more balanced regulation” on the continent in a bid to thwart black market activity.
The letter, which was signed by Entain CEO Stella David and Flutter Entertainment boss Peter Jackson, came as part of the European Gaming and Betting Association’s (EGBA) latest sustainability report.
Bett365’s John Coates, Betsson Group CEO Jesper Svensson, evoke chief Per Widerström, Superbet co-CEO Jimmy Maymann, LeoVegas Group leader Mattias Weder and FDJ United’s Nils Andén also put their names to the letter.
The group of chief executives outlined how black market operators are targeting players via means such as “unlimited access and significant bonuses”, without any form of customer protection, as well as failing to contribute taxable revenue.
The execs noted that while investment in safer gambling initiatives is on the rise, unlicensed and offshore operators are going from strength to strength among European players.
Recent regulatory developments in the Netherlands were singled out as an example of the kind of changes that spark a “surge in black market activity”, with deposit limits cited as a reason for the fact that the size of the black market economy is now equal to that of the regulated market.
Developments in the UK were also addressed, with the CEOs pointing out that £2.7bn is staked annually through black market operators, resulting in £335m in lost taxes as result, as per a Betting and Gaming Council study.
The letter included three requests which the execs said would help push back against the growing unlicensed sector.
“Policymakers should prioritise regulation that is evidence-based and behaviourally informed to channel players toward the safer, regulated environment – not away from it,” it read.
“Regulators should strengthen enforcement against black market operators based outside Europe that undermine the well-developed safety nets established in Europe. Industry stakeholders should promote and work only with operators licensed and regulated in Europe.”
CEOs from across the continent also vowed to continue investment to ensure Europe remains a leader in the responsible gambling space.
“We need a stable, long-term vision for regulated markets – one built on evidence, consultation and collaboration, rather than measures that end up putting players in harm’s way,” the letter added.
“Otherwise, Europe risks undermining its safe, regulated gambling environment that has been diligently built over many years. The black market isn’t just a business challenge for us.
“Europe has a clear choice: either let regulated markets continue to lose ground to unregulated operators who undermine consumer protection and offer nothing positive to our society, or work together to protect players and support responsible operators who invest billions every year in Europe’s future.”
Elsewhere in the report, the EGBA hailed the “record progress” shown by its members over the course of 2024, including contributing €3.8bn in combined tax.
As per the fifth edition of the report, EGBA members reported a 48% year-on-year (YoY) increase in the amount of safer gambling messages sent to customers based on the continent, with 100 million messages issued.
Of that 100 million total, more than a quarter of the safer gambling prompts, 27.9 million, were personalised based on a customer’s playing behaviour.
The personalised messages had an impact on between 42-46% of customers with high-risk behaviours.
Just under 70% of customers started to use player safety tools, while 13.2 million of those users did so voluntarily.
The report found that deposit limits remained the most common responsible gambling tool, used by 65% of customers who use tools voluntarily.
Taking into account the 55,000 employees in both the online and land-based sectors, 89% were trained in safer gambling practices, varying from basic refresher courses to more specialised programmes.
EGBA secretary general Maarten Haijer singled out the impact of personalised interventions as significant, as well as noting the trade body has shifted its methods of measuring success.
“Over recent years, we’ve explored ways to assess the real impact of our members’ safer gambling efforts,” Haijer explained.
“This year, we’re pleased to share data showing how personalised messages affect player behaviours—from deposit patterns to betting behaviour.
“While there’s no single way to measure success, this shift from outputs to outcomes helps answer the crucial question: are their efforts making a real difference for players? The data increasingly says yes.
“We can clearly demonstrate that personalised interactions are creating meaningful behavioural change. If one message helps one player avoid riskier behaviour, it’s a success.
“But what’s encouraging is these protection efforts happen proactively and at scale. By helping players gamble safely and sustainably, our members are protecting both their customers and their own long-term business health.”
The post CEO joint letter calls for “smarter” regulation to fight Europe’s black markets first appeared on EGR Intel.
Chief executives of evoke, bet365, Betsson, Flutter Entertainment and others warn of the risks that will come with continued restrictions of the regulated market
The post CEO joint letter calls for “smarter” regulation to fight Europe’s black markets first appeared on EGR Intel.