EGBA’s ex-boss to coordinate brand new gambling trade body

Maarten Haijer, former Secretary General of the European Betting and Gaming Association (EGBA), has become the first Director General of the Geneva-based World Gaming and Betting Alliance (WGBA). The WGBA was formed in July 2026, with bet365, FDJ United, Flutter and Entain listed as its current members. Its core mission focuses on the battle against the black market, advocacy and policy work for a more sustainable gambling sector, and increasing the standards of consumer protection. Haijer will of course aid the trade body with his more than 13 years of experience at the EGBA, which works in a similar fashion to the WGBA. On his new venture, Haijer took to LinkedIn to say: “The global regulatory landscape is evolving fast, and the case for well-regulated markets has never been more important, both for consumers and for the societies in which they operate. “I look forward to engaging with regulators, policymakers and public health stakeholders to help shape the conversation on the global scale. “We will be formally launching WGBA later this year in Geneva, alongside our first flagship report. Excited for what’s to come in the weeks ahead.” Haijer makes next step after EGBA progress Haijer announced his departure from the EGBA earlier in August, making way for interim Secretary General Pierre Tournier to take on the reigns after holding the Senior Director role for 10 months. Under the former Secretary General’s tenure, the EGBA – in collaboration with various experts and national and international authorities – managed to publish a voluntary pan-European Standard on the markers of gambling harm. He was also a key figure in the launch of the annual Safer Gambling Week initiative, in which hundreds of gambling brands across the EU participate to significantly increase the visibility of their safer gambling messages.