GREF names Alderney’s Starck as new chairman

European regulatory authority Gaming Regulators European Forum (GREF) has appointed Jorn Starck, the executive director of the Alderney Gambling Control Commission, as its new chairman.

Starck had been serving as vice-chair of the organisation and now replaces Claire Pinson, head of European and international affairs at French regulator ARJEL, in the role.

Pinson took up the position of chair in July of last year after Marja Appelman, the then-CEO of Dutch regulator Kansspelautoriteit, opted to step down.

Starck has been replaced in his vice-chair role by current Kansspelautoriteit chair, René Jansen.

Speaking about his new position with GREF, Jansen said that his appointment comes at a critical time for the Dutch market. In February, the country's Senate passed the Remote Gaming Act, paving the way for the roll-out of igaming regulation in the country.

“The laws and regulations concerning gambling are not the same in any country, yet there are many common ground in our work,” Jansen said. “The protection of consumers, the prevention of gambling addiction and the fight against illegality and crime are of paramount importance to all regulators.

“By sharing experiences, we learn from each other. We are also confronted with the same issues. For example, a current topic is the appearance of gambling elements in games.

“All supervisors are looking at how to deal with this. Then it makes sense to work together, partly because there is a strong international character on both the gaming and the gambling market.”