Pierre Tournier to replace Maarten Haijer as Interim Secretary General of the EGBA

Pierre Tournier will replace Maarten Haijer as secretary general of the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) on an interim basis.

The EGBA confirmed that Maarten Haijer will step down as secretary general after 13 years in the role.

The EGBA thanked Mr Haijer for his contribution over the years and highlighted several key achievements during his tenure, including the proposal and development of the first common European standard for identifying markers of gambling harm.

Mr Haijer also oversaw the development of the EGBA’s code of conduct for responsible advertising in online gambling.

Meanwhile, the EGBA said that Mr Tournier has more than 15 years of experience in the industry. He joined the EGBA in 2025 and has since led its engagement with national and international trade bodies, while also supporting initiatives addressing illegal online gambling.

In a LinkedIn post, Pierre Tournier said: “We’ll miss him, but he leaves the EGBA and our industry in a much stronger position than he found it – and there’s no better legacy than that.”

Mr Tournier added: “There’s real work ahead – not least tackling Europe’s growing illegal online market – and I’ll give it my all!”