Global Gaming Leaders Unite Against Illegal Gambling Threat

Illegal gambling is growing rapidly—endangering players, legal operators, and national economies alike.

At the IAGA 2025 Conference in Berlin, global industry leaders met to present a united front against the black market.

Their goal: protect consumers, reinforce regulated markets, and tackle illegal operators who threaten fair play.

Learn how the AGA, ECA, and BGC are building a collaborative global response to illegal gambling.

United Against the Black Market: AGA, ECA & BGC Join Forces to Combat Global Illegal Gambling

Key Points

• Unified Global Message: AGA, ECA, and BGC leaders presented a shared strategy against illegal gambling at IAGA 2025 in Berlin.
• Key Objectives: The alliance focuses on enforcement coordination, joint research, and knowledge sharing across borders.
• Urgent Industry Appeal: The trio called on regulators, governments, and law enforcement to act swiftly before more harm is done.

At the 2025 IAGA Conference in Berlin, the fight against illegal gambling took center stage as leaders from three of the world’s most influential gaming associations—American Gaming Association (AGA), European Casino Association (ECA), and the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC)—renewed their commitment to tackling the global black market.

A Coordinated Stand

The roundtable, chaired by Keith Bristow, Chair of the Gambling Anti-Money Laundering Group, brought together Bill Miller (President, AGA), Erwin Van Lambaart (Chairman, ECA), and Grainne Hurst (CEO, BGC). It followed an MOU signed in October 2024, which laid the groundwork for cross-border collaboration on key issues such as illegal gambling, joint research, and staff knowledge exchange.

Each speaker emphasized the severe and growing threat posed by illegal operators who bypass regulatory systems, avoid taxation, and disregard player protection mechanisms. Their unified message: illegal gambling is a global threat requiring a global solution.

The Scale of the Problem

Illegal gambling is not a marginal issue—it’s a multibillion-euro industry. According to ECA Chair Erwin Van Lambaart, every EU member state has reported severe impacts from the black market. These unlicensed operators often exploit digital channels and crypto payments, targeting vulnerable users without any safeguards.

Grainne Hurst noted that illegal operators “do not support sport, do not pay tax, and exploit the vulnerable,” adding that they actively erode public trust in the legal gaming ecosystem. Legal operators, who invest in compliance, player safety, and tax contributions, find themselves at a disadvantage in markets flooded with grey operators.

Regulatory Integrity at Risk

Bill Miller emphasized the consequences for North America: “Illegal gambling siphons revenue from operators who follow the rules and jeopardises the integrity of our regulated markets.” In 2024 alone, the U.S. was estimated to have lost billions to illegal betting platforms, much of it through offshore websites or unregulated sportsbooks.

Miller praised the roundtable as a turning point in transatlantic cooperation. “This marks an important step toward stronger global collaboration. We are sending a clear message to illegal operators—your time is up.”

The Next Phase of Enforcement

While the MOU and roundtable discussion laid the foundation, the next steps will be critical. The associations are pushing for:

• Deeper intelligence sharing between jurisdictions.
• Joint enforcement actions supported by national AML and financial crime units.
• Education campaigns to inform players about the risks of unlicensed gambling.
• Research collaboration to expose the true scale of illicit activity.

They are also advocating for more sophisticated digital monitoring tools, stricter advertising controls, and blocking measures that prevent access to illegal sites.

The Call to Governments and Regulators

All three organizations appealed to national and EU policymakers to take coordinated legislative and enforcement actions. Without unified efforts, even the most compliant operators could lose ground to black-market competition.

The IAGA 2025 Enforcement Roundtable marked a milestone in the fight against illegal gambling. With leadership from the AGA, ECA, and BGC, the message is clear: the legal industry stands united in defense of players, regulated markets, and national economies.

This is more than a policy debate—it is a global imperative. Stakeholders now have both the tools and the momentum to make coordinated enforcement a reality. However, success will depend on whether governments, regulators, and technology providers respond with the urgency and resolve that the crisis demands.

As illegal gambling continues to evolve, so must the industry’s response—strategic, collaborative, and relentless.