The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) has a self appointed task of promoting fair competition and consumer choice for European based online gaming operators. It has been at the forefront of dealing with the issues raised as a consequence of the unilateral US ban on online gaming for instance. The EGBA believes that the online gaming market in Europe should be allowed to develop in accordance with free market principles and responsible self-regulation so customers receive the very best gaming environment in which to play while the entire industry including players are not over-burdened with artificial regulation which stunts or damages the development of what has become a world leading market for online gamers worldwide.
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The EGBA was established by seven major European operators in the online market - PartyGaming, Unibet, bet-at-home, Expekt, Interwetten, digibet and bwin Group - and the EGBA operates as a non-profit foundation. The EGBA is directly opposed to legislation to make the online gaming industry regulated by government and firmly believes that self-regulation which is rigorously enforced by the gaming industry itself is the best way forward for all involved.
The EGBA recognises that enforcement of existing regulatory regimes in the host countries of their operations must be strictly enforced across the industry but that the common binding principle of the European Union in developing a free, unified market across the EU must also be acknowledged. It is not the right of individual EU member countries to restrict or legislate against the development of online gaming and the EGBA seeks to ensure that he legal rights of operators and consumers are protected in this regard.
The EGA has developed a series of initiatives and programs to research, promulgate and develop socially responsible business practices and programs for ensuring that society is protected from the adverse consequences of online gaming, in particular children and the vulnerable. The emphasis is firmly upon customer choice and freedom which are very powerful arguments in a legislative environment that appears to be intent on imposing regulation no matter what the market wants nor the research into the consequences of over burgeoning regulation that does not come without a price for all involved, including customers.
The EGBA brings a unique insight into the world of cross border operations from the perspective of key industry operators and this is highly valued by existing regulators coming to terms with the reality of the online gaming community. Cross-border regulation is a thorny issue with an operator's online gaming assets located in say, Tahiti, a head office in Brussels and players in Japan - in the event of a dispute who will handle the matter? The EGBA brings practical and technical expertise to the table as well as assists in educating law makers in the practical aspects of online gaming operations. The industry has grown very rapidly and is a highly fluid market which is evolving almost daily with high levels of competition (in fact hyper competition) and this presents significant challenges to regulators, operators and society as a whole.
