SiGMA recently sat down with Maarten Haijer, Secretary General of the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA), to celebrate the remarkable success and ambitious future of the European Safer Gambling Week. Established by EGBA in 2021, this year marks the fifth edition of the campaign, now recognised as Europe’s leading platform for safer gambling awareness. It demonstrates the sector’s joint commitment to player protection.
The initiative brings together EGBA members, other operators, regulators, technology providers, trade associations, support organisations, and individuals with lived experience of gambling harm to promote safer gambling practices and share important safety information, including help resources, with millions of Europeans.
Reflecting on last year’s edition, Haijer highlighted its extensive reach and engagement. “We had 20 events organised across Europe, supported by a social media campaign in 26 European languages,” he explained. This effort also included 200 participating organisations and eight European regulators, resulting in a social media reach of over three million people. For Haijer, the combination of scale and quality was vital. “We want to keep the quality high, but also expand the number of participants, reaching more people and having more regulators participate.”
Haijer stressed that raising awareness about safer gambling and reinforcing a strong culture of player protection is the key priority for the week, while encouraging greater collaboration and shared responsibility throughout the industry.
The commitment to collaboration was evident in last year’s initiative, which facilitated honest discussions about player safety, including feedback on what works and the areas for improvement. The various debates emphasised the value of dialogue and cooperation in developing effective, safer gambling strategies and practices. The active involvement of regulators further reinforces the programme’s credibility. “Having eight regulators participating in an initiative that began just four or five years ago is a sign of success,” Haijer commented.
Looking ahead to the 2025 edition on 17-23 November, the EGBA aims to grow both participation and the scope of activities. The association is now inviting operators, regulators, service providers, and other industry partners to participate in the initiative through the social media campaign and specialised events taking place across Europe.
“Anyone who wants to participate in the European Safer Gambling Week in 2025, please do reach out to us. We’re very keen to get you on board,” Haijer urged. Interested parties can contact the EGBA directly to express their interest and receive guidance on participation.
For more information on the European Safer Gambling Week and how to participate, visit the SiGMA website.
