The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) reported unprecedented engagement during the fourth annual European Safer Gambling Week last month.
Held from November 18 to 24, the event exceeded previous years’ achievements, including sending 67 million safety messages to EGBA members’ European clients last year. This year’s initiative expanded its reach to 26 countries, introducing new participants in Croatia, Serbia, Slovakia, and Ukraine, along with continuing participation from Austria, Denmark, Finland, Spain, Norway, and Poland.
The EGBA, a pan-European trade organization, highlighted that the involvement from these 26 countries represents a 30% growth from 2023. This growth was largely fueled by social media efforts in local languages, which boosted continental engagement.
The social media campaign by the EGBA was visible on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X, previously known as Twitter, featuring 1,169 posts—a 67% rise from 2023—engaging 3.1 million users. Only content tagged with #ESGW24 was measured for the campaign’s success.
Record engagement was also noted, with participation from 195 partners, marking a 20% increase from the previous year. This included involvement from eight national gambling regulators, more than doubling the previous year’s participation, who took part in either the social media initiatives or as speakers at various events.
The program included 20 specialized sessions, an 11% increase from the prior year, discussing advancements in AI, innovations in safer gambling tools, and problem gambling reporting. These events reached new attendance heights with 4,500 registrations, 3,000 attendees, and 105 speakers, including high-ranking officials from Belgian, Danish, French, and UK regulatory bodies.
Maarten Haijer, the secretary general of EGBA, stated: “This year’s success underscores the industry’s growing dedication to player protection. The rise in participation, especially from health organizations and regulatory bodies, illustrates our shared mission for safer gambling. Our collaboration has enabled us to contact many Europeans with vital safety messages during the campaign. Together, we’re enhancing gambling safety and eagerly anticipate next year’s event.”
In the UK, the Betting and Gaming Council announced that Safer Gambling Week amassed over 60 million social media impressions across various platforms.
The original post, detailing European Safer Gambling Week’s record-setting participation, appeared on EGR Intel.
