The European Gaming and Betting Association has published its latest sustainability report, stating that 65 per cent of customers of EGBA members – a record 21 million – used safety tools in 2023.
However, a joint CEO letter within the report also raised concerns about the growth of the illegal online gambling market in Europe, with the CEOs mentioning that it “underscores the urgent need for national policymakers to take decisive action to protect their players”.
EGBA’s Sustainability Report 2024, the association’s fourth annual sustainability report, noted that over half of the 21 million customers used safer gambling tools voluntarily, which is a 14 per cent increase year-over-year.
The report – which “outlines the joint efforts and progress made by its members to promote a sustainable approach to gambling and contribute positively to society in Europe” – highlighted a record 67.6 million safer play messages sent by operators to customers, up 49 per cent YoY, of which 23 million were personalised based on customer behaviour.
Maarten Haijer, Secretary General of EGBA, commented: “We’re pleased to publish our latest sustainability report, highlighting significant progress by our members in many areas of safer gambling, particularly in the roll-out of safety tools and their direct interactions with players about their playing behaviour.
“This demonstrates their collective efforts to embed a sustainable approach to gambling at the heart of what they do.”
Key sustainability report data
The EGBA’s annual sustainability report aims to “track yearly progress, support transparency, and reinforce a strong culture of social responsibility”.
The 2024 report includes sustainability highlights, customer data points collected, safer gambling tools and promotion, social contributions, employment and diversity, as well as energy and environment.
Alongside the previously mentioned figures, the EGBA noted that key data from the report includes that deposit limits were the most used tool by customers of EGBA members, with 70 per cent of customers using the tool voluntarily.
As for safer gambling promotion, the report stated that 70 per cent of all personalised messages were delivered by on-screen pop-ups, while 25 per cent were delivered via email.
In addition, 80 per cent of all member employees – over 45,000 employees across online and land-based operations – received dedicated safer gambling training.
The report also spotlighted how safety messages have improved in their effectiveness, as it noted that of customers who showed potentially problematic play, 65 per cent either improved or stabilised their play following safety messages.
Of the 65 per cent, the EGBA said that 45 per cent improved their play, 10 per cent refrained from playing and 10 per cent stabilised their play. 32 per cent also voluntarily activated or strengthened safety tools, including self-exclusion, in response to safety messages.
Regarding customer accounts, the association stated that the total number of accounts rose by four per cent YoY to 32.5 million, with 72 per cent of customers being male (2022: 74 per cent) while 28 per cent were female (2022: 26 per cent). Collectively, 59 per cent of customers were either aged 26-35 or 36-50.
EGBA members also allocated €61.2m to problem gambling research, education, and treatment services, while €151.4m was donated to charities and community initiatives across Europe.
The report noted that across land-based and online operations, its members had 58,633 employees – 57 per cent male and 43 per cent female.
Meanwhile, total energy consumption across operations was 253.4 GWh, with 71.8 per cent sourced from renewable energy. Greenhouse gas emissions amounted to 0.93 million tonnes CO2e.
Illegal online gambling market concerns
The report also featured a joint letter from six gambling industry CEOs: John Coates, Joint Group Chief Executive of bet365; Stella David, interim CEO of Entain; Peter Jackson, CEO of Flutter Entertainment; Jesper Svensson, CEO of Betsson Operations; Per Widerström, CEO of evoke; and Nils Andén, CEO of Kindred.
The letter highlighted how “both human expertise and advanced technologies” have been used to “proactively protect and support” players around the clock, but it also raised concerns about the growth of the illegal online gambling market in Europe and how they lack “even the most basic consumer protections”.
The letter also mentioned the regulatory frameworks in several European countries and stated that this has “exacerbated the problem”, adding that the worsening situation “underscores the urgent need for national policymakers to take decisive action to protect their players”.
“While we strongly support enforcement measures against black market websites, competitive, regulated online gambling markets are the only effective solution,” the letter said.
“We call on national policymakers to design regulatory frameworks that balance robust consumer protections with a competitive and innovative online gambling environment that is attractive to players. Regulations should not inadvertently make unsafe alternatives more appealing, especially to vulnerable players.
“Taking a balanced approach is essential. By doing so, policymakers can mitigate the consumer protection risks associated with the black market and uphold the integrity and sustainability of their regulatory frameworks.”
Haijer added: “In the report, our CEOs also quite rightly flag their concerns about the growing black market in Europe and the risks it poses to players and the progress made in safer gambling. We’re pleased to expand our reporting this year with specific new metrics about the use of safety tools and messages to promote safer play.”
To read the full EGBA Sustainability Report 2024, click here.