The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) has unveiled a groundbreaking framework to regulate influencer marketing in Europe’s gambling sector. Announced in Brussels on October 21, 2025, the Pledge on Responsible Influencer Marketing in Online Gambling introduces continent-wide standards to enhance transparency, protect minors, and ensure accountability in digital advertising.
Developed with the European Advertising Standards Alliance (EASA), the pledge marks the first industry-wide initiative of its kind. It builds on EGBA’s existing Code of Conduct on Responsible Advertising, expanding its principles to reflect the growing influence of social media marketing.
“As the online advertising landscape continues to evolve, we’re proud to lead the industry with the first comprehensive standards for influencer marketing in Europe’s gambling sector,” said Maarten Haijer, Secretary General of EGBA. “This pledge demonstrates our members’ commitment to responsible advertising and willingness to go beyond regulatory requirements to ensure the highest standards of transparency and minor protection in their influencer partnerships.”
Raising the Bar for Responsible Advertising
The new pledge is built around three central pillars designed to ensure responsible marketing practices among EGBA’s members.
- Stronger Advertising Protections: The framework introduces stricter rules on transparency and age-gating to ensure that gambling-related influencer content does not reach minors. These include content moderation requirements and audience demographic checks to align with the EGBA Code’s prohibition of marketing appealing to underage audiences.
- Ethical Influencer Partnerships: EGBA members must work only with influencers who meet defined ethical criteria and comply with European advertising regulations. The pledge also promotes continuous training to keep influencers informed of new advertising rules and best practices.
- Independent Oversight: To ensure compliance, EGBA members commit to external monitoring of influencer content. Any material breaching the pledge’s standards must be promptly taken down.
The standards apply to all types of influencer content, including social media posts, stories, live streams, and videos—reflecting how online platforms now shape much of gambling marketing.
Building on EGBA’s Commitment to Safer Gambling
The pledge reinforces EGBA’s long-standing leadership in promoting responsible gambling. Its members—licensed operators across the EU—were already guided by the EGBA Code, the first pan-European framework for responsible advertising in the online gambling industry. This new initiative deepens that commitment by addressing emerging challenges in digital and influencer marketing.
Through the pledge, EGBA members aim to strengthen collaboration with influencers and marketing agencies to raise awareness of responsible promotion and player protection standards.
Strengthening Player Protection Across Europe
The influencer marketing pledge follows another major EGBA milestone: the approval of a European Standard on Markers of Harm by national standardisation bodies earlier this month. Proposed by EGBA and developed within the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN), this initiative represents a major advancement in identifying and preventing risky gambling behaviors.
Vasiliki Panousi, Senior Manager of EU Affairs at EGBA, added, “This will be the first commonly agreed European standard for identifying risky gambling behaviours and it will offer an essential building block for effective harm prevention in Europe.”
The standard is expected to be finalized by early 2026 and will be available for voluntary adoption by regulators and operators across Europe.
Source:
“EGBA Launches Pledge on Responsible Influencer Marketing”, egba.eu, October 21, 2025
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