The Portuguese Online Gambling and Betting Association’s (APAJO) has warned of an ‘imminent danger to user safety’ for Portuguese online players due to the prevalence of illegal platforms in the country.
APAJO’s annual research has shown that 41 per cent of all players are using unlicensed gambling platforms with four illegal operators in the list of top earning 15 online gambling operators.
Ricardo Domingues, President of APAJO, said: “At this moment, illegal operators are mostly shady projects that blatantly try to exploit the ease with which they can reach Portuguese audiences while avoiding all consumer protection rules and paying taxes. This type of organisation puts players at all kinds of risk, from their balances to their personal and financial data and they even engage in predatory behaviour towards vulnerable audiences.”
Younger players, between 18 to 34, are more likely to use illegal sites with 52.1 per cent of the survey admitting to using them, citing better bonuses, better odds and a broader range of games
The study found that 71.5 per cent spend up to €50 each month with spend ‘substantially higher’ with illegal operators.
Mr Domingues added: “We must also not forget the tax revenues that are lost, which we estimate to amount to be more than €100m. It would be crucial to prevent these operators from promoting themselves through social networks, influencers and sponsored articles in the Portuguese media and from offering payment methods such as Multibanco and MBWay.”
Caption: Legal and highly regarded operators such as SolVerde are facing competition from illegal operators in Portugal.