The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) has called on authorities in Iceland to “rethink their approach” to gambling regulation and introduce a multi-licensing system.

EGBA secretary general Martin Haijer said the country’s current monopoly system is “at odds” with much of the rest of Europe as well as the public’s preferred types of gaming.

He said monopolies “limit consumer choice” and that attempts to do so “create more problems than they solve.”

Writing in an opinion piece for Icelandic news site Visir, Haijer urged regulators and the government in Iceland to look towards Denmark and Sweden, where multi-licensing systems have been installed, taking over from monopolies, and have “had a positive effect on the market.”

“Iceland can achieve comparable results to Sweden and Denmark, but it requires political will and courage to change direction,” Haijer said.

“The adoption of a licensing system is not about encouraging more people to gamble. On the contrary, such a change is about creating a regulated environment that is safer for players than the current environment in Iceland.

“Those who want to bet on the results of sports games or engage in other forms of gambling look for alternatives that offer better than the monopoly companies. That search sometimes leads them to unsafe websites run by questionable companies.”