Michel Groothuizen, the chair of the Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA), has been appointed as a member of the board for the Gambling Regulators European Forum (GREF). This forum, which was established in 1989, functions as a key platform for regulatory bodies across Europe to share insights and discuss regulatory policies.
Groothuizen is set to serve on the board from 2025 to 2027. His key goals during this term include enhancing collaboration among members and establishing universally recognized best practices for regulatory supervision. Groothuizen expressed his enthusiasm about his new role on his LinkedIn profile: “The GREF is a useful partnership for supervisors. I am therefore happy that I have been elected to the board of this club for the next two years. A great opportunity to continue working on a safe and fair market. But above all, I am going to try to arrive at broadly supported minimum standards that will put a floor in the market everywhere in Europe. For example, nowhere gambling for under-18s and also a Europe-wide ban on approaching minors at all.”
In a related development, Magali Clavie, president of the Belgian Gaming Commission, has been elected as vice-president of the GREF for a two-year term. Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, chair of ANJ, currently serves as the chair of the board. The board also includes notable members such as Anders Dorph, director of the Danish Gambling Authority; Kinga Warda, chief officer for policy and international affairs at the Malta Gaming Authority; Tim Miller, executive director of the Gambling Commission; Sarah Kelly, general counsel of the Alderney Gambling Control Commission; and Atle Hamar, director general of the Norwegian Gambling Authority.
Groothuizen began his term as KSA chair on 1 July 2024, succeeding René Jansen who resigned in October 2023.
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Throughout his tenure on the GREF board, Michel Groothuizen aims to strengthen and standardize regulatory standards across the European gaming sector.