Q&A: European Lotto Betting Association
EGR Intel chats to Lena Patel, chairperson of lottery betting’s newly-launched trade body about the “misunderstood” vertical
The European Lotto Betting Association (ELBA) was created last week by several online lottery operators hoping to forge a closer working relationship with European regulators.
The association was formed by myLotto24, Lottoland, Multilotto, Legacy8, and Lottogo to try and enhance player protection and encourage responsible gambling in the vertical.
Online lottery betting has been given a rough ride of late as it faces regulatory pushback in the UK and an outright ban in Australia after lobbying efforts from monopoly operators.
ELBA’s first chairperson is myLotto24’s head of corporate affairs, Lena Patel. Below, she talks to EGR Intel about the formation of lottery betting’s first trade body and altering perceptions of the sector.
ELBA chairperson Lena Patel
EGR Intel: How did the formation of the group occur and whose idea was it?
Lena Patel: There is a really big misconception about lottery betting – what it is and isn’t, its legitimacy and its impact on traditional lotteries, which has been fuelled by a lot of misinformation touted by vested interest groups.
The danger of this is that it leads to unfair and ineffective regulation that ultimately penalises the millions of lottery betting customers in Europe and around the world. ELBA has been set up to ensure those customers, and the businesses which serve them, have a collective voice in the debate.
We want to foster a closer working relationship with regulators and other stakeholders and ensure that they have access to accurate information, so that lottery betting regulation is coherent, strong, sustainable and fair. That would be a good thing for customers.
EGR Intel: How much did the ruling in Australia lead to the formation of ELBA?
LP: Australia certainly has had an impact. But it’s not the only thing. The general discourse about lottery betting is pretty aggressive and negative at the moment, but overwhelmingly based on inaccurate information being pushed out by those parties with vested interests. As a collective body, we want to rectify this, dispel myths and create better relationships with regulators, so that regulation does not unfairly penalise millions of customers who want to take part in lottery betting.
EGR Intel: Which European regulators are the ELBA in discussions with?
LP: We have just started the association and are in discussions about which jurisdictions and regulators we will work with. Our aim is to work together in those jurisdictions where regulation is changing and there is an opportunity to help regulators better understand what lotto betting is – a regulated, licensed offering, that offers customers to bet on the outcome of a live event – ours happens to be lotto betting.
EGR Intel: Who will provide the voice for lottery betting outside of Europe?
LP: At the moment, our focus is Europe. In the future, we may decide to work more globally, but Europe is our focus at present.