DGOJ Participates in SiGMA World: Tackling Illegal Gambling Challenges

The Directorate-General for the Regulation of Gambling (DGOJ), part of the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs, and Agenda 2030, has participated in SiGMA World Rome, the international gathering bringing together representatives from the gambling, technology, financial markets, and affiliate marketing sectors at Fiera Roma to exchange knowledge and analyze the main challenges facing these industries.

The Director-General for the Regulation of Gambling, Mikel Arana, spoke on the panel titled "Europe’s Enforcement Era: Regulation Is Winning But At What Cost?", dedicated to analyzing the evolution of regulatory enforcement in Europe, the results of supervisory measures, and the challenges authorities face in combating illegal gambling.

Regulatory Cooperation Against Illegal Gambling

The session brought together representatives from regulatory authorities in Spain, Cyprus, Greece, and the Czech Republic to share their experiences, measures, and approaches in the fight against platforms offering online gambling services without the corresponding authorization.

Challenges in Blocking and Regulating Illegal Operators

During the debate, issues such as the evolution of enforcement actions, the difficulties in blocking access to unauthorized websites, and challenges associated with payment methods, social media, and mirror domains (websites replicating the image of legal brands) were addressed. The problem of prediction markets and the difficulties that arise when their platforms claim that the products they offer do not constitute gambling activities were also raised.

The exchange highlighted the importance of cooperation among authorities and collaboration with other stakeholders, including payment service providers and digital platforms, to improve the effectiveness of measures against the illegal market.

Cooperation and Supervision of the Online Digital Gambling Market

Another focus of the meeting was the contribution that the legal industry can make to facilitate the work of authorities. In this context, potential avenues for collaboration to detect and combat illegal activity were analyzed, as well as the practical obstacles that hinder regulatory enforcement when gambling operators act from other jurisdictions.

The DGOJ's participation in this gathering is part of its supervisory work over the state online gambling market and its commitment to the effective implementation of the regulatory framework. Cooperation with other regulators and various sector stakeholders is key to addressing the challenges arising from the evolution of a digital and global market, as well as to continuing progress toward a safer gambling environment and greater protection for players.