The Geneva-based alliance plans to launch formally later this year, alongside its first flagship report.
Maarten Haijer, the former secretary general of the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA), has become director general of the newly established World Gaming and Betting Alliance (WGBA), based in Geneva.
WGBA plans formal launch in Geneva later this year
Haijer announced the appointment on LinkedIn. He said the alliance will be formally launched in Geneva later this year, alongside its first flagship report, but did not give a date.
Describing the alliance’s purpose, Haijer said:
‘At WGBA, we aim to unite the international gaming and betting community around the shared purpose of championing effective regulation, high industry standards, and evidence-led policy, so that gaming and betting can remain what it is for most adults: a lawful, safe form of entertainment.’
He added that the case for well-regulated markets ‘has never been more important, both for consumers and for the societies in which they operate’.
What the WGBA says it will do
According to the WGBA’s announcement, Haijer leads a global effort to engage with policymakers and help ensure regulation enables a safer environment for consumers. Across the two announcements, the WGBA and Haijer set out these aims:
- Promote high standards of consumer protection, integrity, and transparency
- Support evidence-led approaches to reduce gambling-related harm
- Tackle illegal gambling worldwide
- Contribute to the shared knowledge base on gambling data and evidence
- Engage with regulators, policymakers, and public health stakeholders
From EGBA to the WGBA
Haijer led EGBA as secretary general for more than a decade. In EGBA’s announcement of his departure, the association said Pierre Tournier would take over as interim secretary general from 1 September.
EGBA said that under Haijer it became a leading voice for well-regulated online gambling in Europe. It also credited him with deepening engagement with EU and national institutions, helping open markets to regulated competition, and founding the annual European Safer Gambling Week.
Haijer’s earlier roles include positions at the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Netherlands’ Permanent Representation to the EU.
In its announcement, the WGBA said:
‘At WGBA, he [Maarten Haijer] leads a global effort to engage with policymakers and contribute to the shared knowledge base on gambling data and evidence, helping ensure regulation enables a safer environment for consumers.’
Illegal gambling in the EU
Tackling illegal gambling worldwide is one of the aims the WGBA has set out. In the EU, a report produced by Gaming Compliance International (GCI) for the Campaign for Fairer Gambling (CFG) estimated that unregulated operators generated €91.6 billion in online gross gambling revenue (GGR) from EU 27 consumers in 2025.
That was 72% of a €128.0 billion online gambling market, according to the report, up from €52.6 billion in unregulated revenue in 2023.
