Illegal Gambling Takes Center Stage at IAGA Enforcement Roundtable
The global gaming industry, including enforcement stakeholders such as international regulators, trade associations, and law enforcement officials, has converged in Berlin for the 42nd annual International Gaming Summit.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:Organized by the International Association of Gaming Advisors (IAGA), the conference kicked off on June 9 and will run through June 12, 2025. A key highlight of yesterday's discussion was the gambling industry enforcement roundtable, chaired by Keith Bristow, former Director-General of the UK's National Crime Agency and current Chair of the Gambling Anti-Money Laundering Group (GAMLG).
The panel featured representatives from the three leading gaming associations: the American Gaming Association (AGA), the European Casino Association (ECA), and the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC). Participants shared insights on combating the growing threat of illegal gambling and explored successful initiatives that could be applied locally and globally.
The session began with introductory remarks from Keith Bristow, followed by presentations from the CEOs of each trade association, and concluded with a strategic discussion involving regulators and law enforcement representatives.
It was a privilege and honor to address this Enforcement Roundtable and hear from my fellow CEOs who lead trade bodies in Europe and America. The growing, unsafe, illegal gambling black market poses a shared challenge to all our members and their millions of customers. These illegal operators do not pay tax, do not support sport, and don't care about player protection measures. Instead, they target those vulnerable to harm, hurt the economy, and threaten regulated businesses.
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Unified Approach Needed to Combat Threat
This roundtable builds on the momentum of an MOU signed between the three trade groups last October. The agreement also established a collaborative framework for joint research and knowledge sharing among staff and members of each association.
Illegal gambling is a global threat that undermines consumer protections, siphons revenue from legal operators who follow the rules, and jeopardizes the integrity of our regulated markets. This roundtable marks an important step toward stronger global collaboration. Together, we're sending a clear message: the legal gaming industry stands united with regulators and law enforcement in confronting the illegal market and protecting consumers worldwide.
According to Erwin Vaan Lambart, ECA Chairman, illegal gambling accounts for 70% of the market share across all 27 EU member states, equivalent to €80 billion in 2024. To address this growing threat, Lambart calls for a unified regulatory approach, stronger enforcement, and increased collaboration between authorities and the licensed industry.
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