EGBA has appointed Pierre Tournier as interim secretary general, and he will take the role on 1 September, replacing Maarten Haijer, who will step down after 13 years as secretary general and nearly two decades with the association.
Tournier said tackling unlicensed gambling will sit near the top of his agenda. He described the growth of the illegal market as the biggest threat to players and to the regulated sector alike, and said EGBA would keep pushing high industry standards, regulatory best practice and the debates that shape the sector’s future. That emphasis follows EGBA’s July call for tougher enforcement against payment firms that process transactions for unlicensed gambling sites.
The Brussels-based trade body represents leading online gambling operators established, licensed and regulated in the EU. It says its members hold 267 online gambling licences, serve 31.2 million customers across 22 European countries and account for about one-third of Europe’s online gambling gross gaming revenue.
Tournier joined EGBA in November 2025 and has since led strategic work including coordination with national and international trade bodies and efforts against the illegal online market. He previously held senior roles at the Betting and Gaming Council and the Remote Gambling Association, and EGBA says he has more than 15 years of lobbying and advocacy experience across several gambling jurisdictions.
Haijer joined EGBA in 2008 as director of regulatory affairs and became secretary general in 2013. Under his leadership, EGBA deepened its engagement with EU and national institutions, backed safe, well-regulated, multi-licensed markets and helped open several markets to regulated competition. It also built European Safer Gambling Week, which in 2025 included 23 events and more than 2,500 participants. The 2026 campaign is scheduled for 16 to 22 November.
