The European Gaming and Betting AssociationObserved progress on the Digital Services ActIt looks forward to the creation a safer online environment.
The group has persistently called for an ambitious reform of the digital space, and, following the European Parliament adopting its DSA stance last week, states that it looks forward to the trialogue negotiations on the dossier.
Thursday, 20 January 2021, at a plenary session in Strasbourg European ParliamentAfter months of negotiations on this dossier, the DSA voted for its position.
The Parliament’s position includes measures to stop illegal products, online services and content, including procedures for removing them and more options for tracking-free advertisement. It also bans targeted ads towards minors.
The EGBA called the move a positive step in the right direction and emphasized the importance of strengthening protections for minors in many age-gated areas, including online gambling.
It also stated that the authority recognizes that gambling advertising should be socially responsible and fully supports measures that prevent the targeting minors.
The EGBA states that it also welcomes the Parliament’s maintenance of the DSA’s cornerstone principle of country of origin, as well a carefully-defined trusted flagger mechanism. These are intended to prevent abuses and erroneous takedowns of online material it believes has been wrongly deemed illegal or jeopardising fundamental liberties.
We are happy to see the European Parliament’s progress on DSA and its suggestions to create a safer online ecosystem for European consumers. This includes excluding targeted advertising towards minors. Maarten Haijer is secretary general of EGBA.
There is an absolute ban on minors gambling online and the prohibition of advertising towards them in all EU member countries. However, we support the proposed harmonisation to prohibit the use of minors data in targeted ads and the extension these protections.
The Parliament will now begin negotiations with the Council. The Council has already reached an agreement on its position in November 2021. The EGBA said that it looks forward participating in these further inputs.
