Secretary general Ligné leaves EGBA
Ligné, who had held the role for six years, has been replaced by Maarten Haijer.
Sigrid Ligné, secretary general of the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA), has left the lobby group after six years in her role to take up a post with an as-yet-unnamed association in Brussels.
She has been replaced by Maarten Haijer, the organisation’s former director of regulatory affairs, who has been with EGBA since 2008.
Haijer has been based in Brussels since late 2003, previously serving as consumer protection counsellor at the Netherlands Permanent Representation to the EU, and he told eGaming Review he sees a lot of crossover between EU consumer protection directives and EGBA’s pursuits within the European online gambling space.
Ligné (pictured) said: “I have had the privilege to lead the EGBA at a time of significant progress in the EU debate on online gambling. I am pleased to note that the EU institutions and other stakeholders are now engaged in a constructive exchange on how smart regulatory design can achieve our common goals.
“By appointing Maarten Haijer to take up the baton in the continuing efforts to persuade policymakers of the merits of market-based solutions, the EGBA can be sure that its cause is in excellent hands,” she added.
EGBA chairman and bwin.party chief executive Norbert Teufelberger thanked Ligné “for spearheading EGBA’s considerable achievements at a crucial time for European online gaming operators and for the development of the industry as a whole.”
Teufelberger said of Haijer: “With his experience and vision we are confident that he will drive forward our efforts for safe and fair operating conditions in Europe.”
Haijer, upon his appointment, said: “EGBA is firmly committed to work together with the EU institutions and Member States to achieve both of these goals.
“Where discriminatory national rules persist, we rely on the Commission as guardian of the treaties to keep its word and refer Member States to the Court of Justice of the EU,” he added.
The association, whose members include bwin.party, Betclic Everest and Unibet, last year came out in support of the European Commission’s Action Plan on Online Gambling, with Ligné saying at the time: “We are very pleased with the EC’s decision…to take formal action against non-compliant national gambling laws.”
EGBA has since filed a joint complaint (with the Remote Gambling Association (RGA)) with regards to Greek egaming proposals and the related extension of OPAP’s monopoly, with the RGA reiterating the stance last week after the proposals to extend the monopoly to 2020 were submitted to the European Commission despite the CJEU ruling in January that the monopoly was unjustified.