European gambling regulators pledge more joint action on illegal gambling
Several regulators have backed the Gaming Regulators European Forum joint statement on illegal gambling.
UK.- The Netherlands’ Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), France’s l’Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), Hungary’s SZTFH and Sweden’s Spelinspektionen have pledged to take more joint action on illegal gambling. They have added their names to the Gaming Regulators European Forum (GREF) joint statement issued at the end of March.
GREF, which counts 36 European regulators as associate members, issued the statement to promote more cooperation among regulators. Those signing up to the statement commit to joint action in a bid to achieve effective implementation of national regulations.
The statement says that regulators share a commitment to “consumer protection and developing a fair gambling market”. Joint action will include regular meetings and exchanges of information, alerts, expertise, best practice. Regulators will also take “joint actions against illegal sites”.
GREF says regulators aim to achieve a “constructive dialogue” with online gambling platforms, including social media operations.
The statement reads: “Illegal gambling threatens the achievement of these objectives. First, consumers who access illegal gambling sites are particularly vulnerable, as they are exposed to many risks and have no legal protection.
“Secondly, development in the regulated sector is threatened by illegal sites that are not held to the same standards we expect of our licensed operators.”
“This joint action will enable us to better identify and minimise illegal gambling activities, while acknowledging that each regulator remains free to define what amounts to illegal gambling and to use the enforcement tools provided by its own national regulatory framework.”
GREF is currently chaired by René Jansen, chair of the Dutch gambling regulator KSA. He was appointed in 2021, replacing Jorn Starck, the executive director of the Alderney Gaming Control Commission.
