IAGR schedules first illegal gambling awareness week for November 2026

The International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR) has announced the first Illegal Gambling Awareness Week (IGAW), scheduled for 9–13 November 2026. The association said the campaign is its first coordinated international effort to inform consumers about the risks of unauthorised online gambling and to encourage them to check operator licences before placing a bet. The announcement was made at a meeting held during IAGR's annual conference in Lima, Peru.

Under the plan, regulators that are members of IAGR will run coordinated communications with a central message: before playing, check that the site is authorised in the country where the user is located. IAGR cited unpaid winnings, limited options for resolving disputes and possible misuse of users' personal and financial data as the main risks of unlicensed platforms. It said players may also miss the protection measures and responsible gambling tools required of licensed operators.

IAGR also pointed to a possible link between illegal gambling and organised crime. According to the association, consumers who unknowingly use unauthorised platforms could indirectly help fund organisations involved in drug trafficking, human trafficking, terrorism financing and other illegal activity.

Ben Haden, president of IAGR, said the spread of online gambling makes this a shared challenge for regulators. He said that by coordinating consumer communications, regulators can help more people understand why local licences matter and where to find reliable information before approaching an operator.

The creative work and information materials were assigned to R&R Partners, an independent marketing and communications agency that also specialises in public education and behaviour-change campaigns. IAGR said the initiative aims to show consumers how widespread unlicensed gambling platforms are, how they may exploit users' trust and what precautions to take to avoid becoming victims.

Campaign materials will be made available to IAGR members from 6 November. The initial package will include 30-second and 15-second videos, social media content, a draft press release and guidance for communications activities. The first versions will be available in English and Spanish.

Participating regulators will be able to customise the materials with their own institutional branding, publish daily content during the week of 9–13 November, issue communications nationally and arrange media interviews. They will also be encouraged to involve consumer protection bodies, organisations that promote responsible gambling and other interested parties.

A central tool will be CheckBeforeYouPlay.org, a free service for checking operator licence information provided by Sharp Vision, a regulatory technology company based in Paris. The company develops solutions that help authorities monitor markets, analyse betting and payment data and identify unauthorised online gambling sites. The service will launch on 9 November and will let consumers enter a gambling platform's web address to see available licensing information. Checks will cover the jurisdictions of IAGR members included in the system and will draw on regulator registers and other verified public sources.

Kevin Mullally, chief executive of IAGR, said people often confuse visibility with reliability. He said a professional-looking website or a recognisable name can convey trust to consumers without them knowing whether the platform actually holds the required licence where they are located, and that IAGR wants users to get into the habit of checking a site's licensing status before opening an account or making a deposit.

IAGR said the first Illegal Gambling Awareness Week is intended to strengthen international cooperation among regulators, raise awareness of the risks of the illegal market and encourage more informed consumer behaviour. Authorities and organisations interested in taking part can contact the association directly by email.