In 2024, the Excluded Persons Information System (EPIS) blocked more than 450,000 attempts to gamble. This is according to the annual report of the Gaming Commission. More and more people are consciously choosing to protect themselves from gambling addiction by excluding themselves.
EPIS was launched in 2004 and registers people who, for various reasons, are not allowed to access games of chance. These reasons include voluntary self-exclusion, professional restrictions or court decisions. It is striking that magistrates, police officers and people with debts are also on the list.
Overview of EPIS system use in 2024
| Category | Number / Information |
| Total blocks via EPIS | 450.000+ attempts |
| Purpose of EPIS | Protection of excluded players |
| Types of exclusion | Self-exclusion, third party, professional, judicial |
| New campaign | ‘Take a gambling break with EPIS’ during the European Championships and Olympic Games |
| Fines for providers (EPIS errors) | 5 sanctions imposed |
| Ongoing cases | 6 cases pending |
Campaign and monitoring to raise awareness and strengthen the system
During the European Football Championship and the Olympic Games, the campaign ‘Take a break from gambling with EPIS’ was launched. This campaign on television and social media was intended to make the system more accessible. The Gaming Commission believes that too few people are aware of how easy it is to block themselves.
Policy proposals from the Gaming Commission (EPIS)
| Proposal from the GC | Current status |
| Automatic inclusion of defaulters in EPIS | Rejected by previous government |
| Government argument | Insufficient evidence that defaulters have gambling problems |
| GC argument | Avoids duplicate systems and provides more effective protection |
| Current GC vision | Include defaulters for preventive protection |
At the same time, checks on providers were also tightened. In 2024, five gambling companies were sanctioned for not correctly performing the mandatory EPIS check. Six other cases are still under investigation. According to the Commission, this confirms that supervision remains necessary, especially with the rise of online gambling.
A report on EPIS malfunctions shows that the system does occasionally falter. In such cases, players can still access illegal websites without protection.
EPIS checks and sanctions in 2024
| Type of check | Number in 2024 |
|---|---|
| Checks on EPIS compliance | Not specified |
| Sanctions imposed | 5 |
| Ongoing cases | 6 |
| Reason for sanctions | Incorrect or missing EPIS check |
EPIS debate: should the government automatically exclude defaulters?
In 2024, the Gaming Commission reiterated its position on the automatic inclusion of defaulters in the EPIS system. It has been advocating this since 2021. According to the Commission, this prevents people with heavy debts from losing their money to gambling.
The previous federal government rejected this proposal. It felt that there was no clear evidence that defaulters also have gambling problems and did not want to restrict their freedom. The Commission is critical and argues that the current gambling limit has little effect and is easy to circumvent.
According to the Gaming Commission, the FPS Economy should intervene more quickly and take more responsibility for supervision.
The trend is clear: more and more people are consciously excluding themselves. EPIS works, but needs to evolve to better protect vulnerable players.The entire GC annual report is available here.