WGBA Launches With bet365, Entain, Flutter & FDJ as Founders

What Just Happened

The World Gaming & Betting Association (WGBA) has been established, with bet365, Entain, Flutter Entertainment and FDJ United signing on as founding members. Maarten Haijer, who previously led the European Gaming and Betting Association, will head the organisation. It's a notable grouping: these are major commercial operators spanning Europe and beyond, and Haijer brings direct experience running a cross-border lobbying and standards body at the EGBA.

Why a New Global Body, and Why Now

The EGBA operates at EU level, which leaves a gap when operators need to engage regulators and policymakers on a genuinely international basis. The WGBA appears designed to fill that gap — giving a small but heavyweight coalition a coordinated voice on issues that transcend any single jurisdiction. The choice of Haijer signals continuity of approach: he knows how to translate operator interests into regulatory dialogue, and he's done it before at scale.

It's worth being clear about what this is at launch: reportedly four founding members, which is a concentrated rather than broad coalition. That can be an advantage — faster consensus, cleaner messaging — but it also means the WGBA's claim to speak for the global industry will face scrutiny until membership grows.

What the WGBA Could Actually Do

Based on the model Haijer ran at EGBA, operators can reasonably expect the body to focus on:

• Coordinated engagement with regulators across multiple markets simultaneously
• Setting voluntary standards that members can point to as evidence of responsible practice
• Producing research and market data to inform policy discussions
• Providing a shared reputational buffer when the wider industry faces political pressure

Why This Matters for Operators

For operators outside the founding four, the WGBA's formation raises an immediate question: do you want a seat at the table when this body starts shaping the conversation with regulators, or are you happy to let four competitors define the industry's global narrative? Trade bodies tend to reflect the interests of whoever builds them. If the WGBA gains traction with regulators in key markets, non-members could find themselves responding to standards and frameworks they had no hand in drafting. Smaller operators and regional platforms should watch the membership criteria and governance structure closely — those details will determine whether this becomes a genuinely open standards body or a lobby group for the largest incumbents.