At the IAGA conference in Berlin, the world’s three major gambling industry organizations—the American Gaming Association (AGA), the European Casino Association (ECA), and the UK’s Betting and Gaming Council (BGC)—came together for a roundtable discussion, issuing a unified call to action: illegal gambling has become a transnational crisis threatening the global gambling ecosystem and consumer safety, and requires a coordinated international response.

The roundtable, focused on the grey market in gambling, was chaired by Keith Bristow, head of the Gambling Anti-Money Laundering Group. Participants included AGA President Bill Miller, ECA Chairman Erwin Van Lambaart, and BGC CEO Grainne Hurst.

This discussion stemmed from a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the three organizations in October 2024. Under the agreement, the parties committed to joint efforts to combat illegal gambling, conduct shared research, and exchange best practices through training, all aimed at fostering a globally compliant and sustainable gambling ecosystem.

In her remarks, Hurst stated:
“I’m honored to join global industry leaders at this enforcement roundtable to address the challenge of illegal gambling. The rapidly growing underground market is a direct threat to our industry’s sustainability. These illegal operators pay no taxes, offer no consumer protections, and deliberately target vulnerable populations—posing serious social and economic risks.”

Bill Miller, President of the AGA, echoed these concerns:
“Illegal gambling undermines the foundations of legal operations, squeezes out responsible businesses, weakens regulatory systems, and exposes consumers to high-risk environments. Today’s meeting marks a critical step toward strengthening global coordination.”

ECA Chairman Van Lambaart added:
“The situation in Europe is already alarming. Illegal gambling has reached nearly every EU member state. This is no longer a problem that a single regulator can handle. National governments, EU institutions, and law enforcement must collaborate closely with licensed operators, or the consequences for our economies and communities could be severe.”

The attendees unanimously called for enhanced cooperation between regulators, law enforcement agencies, and legal gambling operators to jointly protect consumers, shut down illegal platforms, and rebuild public trust in the gambling sector.

This roundtable represents not only a collective industry response to the threat of illegal gambling, but also signals the start of a new phase of international cooperation and black market enforcement.