The American Gaming Association (AGA), European Casino Association (ECA), and the Betting & Gaming Council (BGC) have recently signed a letter of understanding to partner in a global gaming initiative.
Three important and influential gaming organizations have combined their considerable influence and expertise by forming a partnership to concentrate their efforts on four key initiatives for 2025 and beyond. The partnership will focus on responsible gaming, illegal gambling, security, and gaming innovation.
The first meeting will be held in January 2025, and it will revolve around combatting illegal gambling. Law enforcement leaders will gather in a roundtable discussion with industry executives and state regulators to discuss its impact on licensed sports betting operators, consumers, and the financial system.
What Does the BGC Do?
The Betting & Gaming Council was established in 2019 and focuses its attention on the UK’s retail sportsbooks, digital gaming operators, and land-based casino owners.
Betting & Gaming Council CEO Grainne Hurst commented on the partnership: “This partnership marks a new chapter in our shared vision to build a world-class, trusted, and sustainable betting and gaming industry. BGC members are rightly proud of their reputation as global leaders, and they know the power of collaboration. Working together with the AGA and ECA, I am confident our shared knowledge and expertise will be vital to bolstering safer gambling standards while tackling the threat of the growing and unsafe unregulated gambling black market in the UK.”
The European Casino Association has been around since the early 1900s and represents 900 casinos and over 70,000 employees in 298 countries across Europe. The organization gives the industry a powerful voice and will join this new collaboration with the AGA and BGC.
Erwin van Lambaart, chairman of the ECA, expressed his support for the initiative, “The ECA fully backs this initiative and supports the ongoing efforts to rigorously combat illegality within our industry, continuously strengthen player protections and security, and ensure the creation of an environment that fosters innovation and growth within the gaming community. On behalf of the ECA, I look forward to participating in the forthcoming law enforcement roundtable and to sharing the benefits of these learnings with our members.”
AGA Vigilant in Illegal Gambling Battle
Mobile and retail sports betting has swept the United States, now with 38 US states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico licensing it within their boundaries. As the industry grows like wildfire, the American Gaming Association remains an outspoken critic of unlicensed operators soliciting American bettors and taking money out of the pockets of mobile sports betting operations and ultimately the tax coffers from those states regulating it.
“By sharing our unique resources, we will expand our fight against illegal gambling to new fronts, work together to strengthen responsible gaming, and innovate around business best practices,” stated AGA President and CEO Bill Miller. “This new partnership is a significant step forward in our collective efforts to advance the legal gaming industry and protect consumers around the globe.”
“By fostering dialogue and cooperation across borders, the AGA, ECA, and BGC are taking a proactive approach to safeguarding the integrity of the legal gaming industry and ensuring its continued growth and success,” Miller concluded.
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