ECA Places Emphasis on Responsible Gambling Practices

_{European Casino Association champions responsible gambling practices and regulatory compliance. (Image: Courtesy of ECA)}

The European Casino Association (ECA) is launching their manifesto 2025-26 with the aim of enhancing player protection and economic growth.

It is no easy task given the complexities around the casino industry with tough regulations already in place and varying degrees of differences in rules, laws and business models across Europe.

One of the aims of the ECA is to tackle illegal gambling, something that has also featured in some of the workshops and keynote speeches at the ICE Barcelona event.

The manifesto centres on combating the illegal market while protecting consumers and encouraging transparency and responsible gambling.

It is hoped that these initiatives will set new standards for the industry, including land-based and online casinos alike. Platforms like casinos.com could help players stay informed about compliant casinos, further aligning with the ECA's goals of promoting safe gambling experiences while aligning with the ECA's consumer protection objectives. 

The ECA's Policy Goals   

The European Casino Association's 2025-2029 manifesto has a strong emphasis on enhanced consumer protection measures. As the industry evolves, these policies aim to drive significant economic growth within the EU by attracting more legitimate operators and investments. 

Those operators falling in line with the manifesto aims and existing regulations and compliance laws may benefit from increased participation rates, strengthen their consumers trust and attract new investors, giving them a competitive edge.

Impact on Online Casinos 

The implementation of the ECA's policies will inevitably impact online casinos operating within the EU, presenting both challenges and opportunities for these platforms.  

To summarize, the ECA is committed to fighting illegal land-based and online gambling operators, enhancing anti-money laundering regulation and supporting effective implementation of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Package. 

The manifesto is a pledge to fight crime, protect consumers, and support the EU’s competitiveness. The manifesto states:  

"To fight illegal land-based and online operators, European policymakers should acknowledge and address the existence and negative impact of these illegal activities in Europe.

"The Commission must ensure effective implementation and enforcement of the AML/CFT Package and reinforce Europol.

"The Commission should make it clear that gambling providers require national licenses from the countries in which they offer their services.

"EU policymakers should assess any new legislation based on risk analysis and ensure a proportionate approach and workable implementation, avoiding unintended consequences that could negatively impact the regulated industry or inadvertently increase the attractiveness of illegal gaming offers.  

"To allow for the necessary controls, monitoring and enforcement of national court judgements concerning the gaming sector in all EU member states, the ECA fully supports the 1992 Decision of the European Council on the subsidiarity principle for the gaming sector, as reaffirmed in the Schindler case (C-275/92) by the European Court of Justice."

For the success of this mission, the ECA urges policymakers to recognise the impact of illegal operators in Europe and collaboratively take measures to eliminate them.