German sports betting and gaming operator Tipico has officially joined the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA). The Brussels-based trade body represents the main online gambling operators regulated in the European Union, including bet365, Betsson Group, Entain, Flutter Entertainment, and Kindred Group.

By joining EGBA, Tipico agrees to follow a set of mandatory industry standards beyond national licensing rules. These include the first pan-European code of conduct for responsible advertising and guidelines for anti-money laundering and data protection under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Membership also requires an annual independent audit to confirm compliance with the association’s rules.

Focus on Player Protection

These audits, conducted by third-party agencies like eCOGRA, are to review measures for player safety, including markers of harm to identify problem-gambling behaviour. Tipico’s 2024 environmental, social, and governance, or ESG, report showed that the company kept turnover from potentially at-risk gambling behavior below 1.5% for the year.

The operator’s public policy director, Jochen Weiner said, “As a company committed to player protection and regulatory excellence, we look forward to contributing our expertise to EGBA’s important work. This partnership aligns perfectly with our commitment to promoting high industry standards and our fight against the black market for online gambling in Europe.” 

This move also supports Tipico’s strategy of operating only in locally regulated markets and joining pan-European safety initiatives like the annual European Safer Gambling Week.

Corporate Restructuring and Growth

The brand’s entry into EGBA follows a period of major corporate changes. Late last year, an entertainment conglomerate, Banijay Group, signed an agreement to acquire a majority stake in Tipico for around €4.6 billion. This deal will combine Tipico with Betclic to form a new company called Banijay Gaming.

On a pro forma basis, the combined group generated roughly €6.4 billion in revenue and €1.4 billion in adjusted EBITDA in 2024. This merger positions the group as the fourth-largest European public sports betting and online gaming operator, serving nearly 6.5 million active players yearly.

Strong Market Presence

Tipico remains a dominant operator in Germany, holding more than 50% of the market. Its operations adopt an omni-channel approach with a digital platform and over 1,250 retail betting shops across Germany and Austria. The company recently expanded in Austria by acquiring the Admiral brand from Novomatic to strengthen its market presence.

As part of integration plans into Banijay Gaming, Tipico sold its majority stake in the online brand Bet-at-Home to focus on its high-growth assets. This acquisition by Banijay Group will be financially and legally completed by mid-2026.