Trans-Atlantic Alliance to combat illegal gambling

The American Gaming Association and the European Casino Association, has announced the creation of a partnership to address illegal gambling.

UK.- The American Gaming Association (AGA) and the European Casino Association (ECA), join forces to combat illegal gambling, by enhancing information sharing and capacity building. The Trans-Atlantic alliance may be paving the road to a formal agreement between ECA and AGA, with the aim of creating shared tools to face this scourge.

The principles the alliance will be govern by are: Reducing the demand and supply for illegal gambling; Cooperation and continued training and capacity building for law enforcement; and Sustained commitment to call on policymakers to take action.

“The problem of illegal gambling services is of a global dimension, both from the perspective of these services being furnished through terrestrial and through online channels,” explained Per Jaldung, ECA chair. “Often these services are provided on a transnational basis which as such requires a global approach to guarantee the safety of the consumers, prevent underage gambling, and keep gambling crime free, especially as illegal gambling services are often related to other forms of crime,” he added

On its part, Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the AGA expressed that “Illegal gambling is rampant and without borders. Its operators elude regulation, pay no taxes and threaten consumer safety. Through this partnership, we’ll leverage our relationships with law enforcement and the legal, highly regulated gaming industry to expose shady illegal gambling operations.”