IAGR chief outlines global strategy to disrupt illegal gambling
The President of the International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR), Ben Haden, has identified illegal gambling as the pre-eminent concern for the global regulatory community, describing the shift from market blurring to criminal activity as a “reasonably straight line.”
During a fireside discussion at G2E Asia in Macau moderated by Rui Proença of MdME, Haden addressed the staggering scale of the problem in Asia, where conservative estimates place illegal gaming revenue above $100 billion annually, and the urgent need for a “complex” response that goes beyond simple licensing.
Disruption, not eradication: The ‘digital water’ reality
“Anyone who tells you their aim is to eradicate illegal gambling, you’ll never get rid of it,” Haden said. The IAGR Chief argued that technology has made every country an “iGaming country” regardless of its legal framework, because technology “is a bit like water; it will find a way.”
“Technology will enable bad actors to access consumers, and it will enable consumers who either consciously or often, from our research, unconsciously, access the illegal market,” Haden explained. Rather than promising total elimination, Haden focused on a strategy of friction: “We can disrupt it, and particularly we can make it difficult to deliver at scale.”
Beyond the operator: Targeting the supply chain
“Social media, big tech, and payment providers need to play a different role,” he said.
A key component of this disruption involves pressuring the “passive” intermediaries that facilitate the illegal market. Haden noted that the protagonist at the end of the supply chain is not the only actor that matters.
He pointed to recent efforts in the UK to hold platforms like Meta accountable. “There is more of a macro trend now which is calling on those sorts of companies to step up in all areas,” Haden said, suggesting that regulators must exploit this trend to force change within the “complex supply chain” that illegal operators rely upon.
Using data to map the shadows
To combat the “subconscious” migration of players to illegal sites, Haden advocated for the sophisticated use of data, including “open banking” sets that can identify spending on unlicensed platforms.
He predicted a future in which the democratisation of data enables regulators to work directly with consumers to understand their habits, rather than relying solely on operator reports. “In a world where consumers own their data more, there are some really interesting conversations to be had,” Haden noted. By understanding exactly “how they play, where they play, and when they play,” he said that regulators can better warn consumers and maintain a “legal space” that remains more attractive than the illegal alternative.
Call for global coordination
“It’s not a challenge that any one organisation can deal with on its own,” Haden said.
Addressing the human cost of the illegal trade in Asia, including trafficking and forced labour, Haden emphasised that isolation is the regulator’s greatest weakness. While the IAGR‘s illegal gambling working group saw 30 jurisdictions sign up almost instantly, Haden admitted the practical challenge remains: “How do you take those thirty cats and herd them into action? That’s a lot harder.”
Haden emphasised that building trust is the first step. “It’s an information-sharing exercise to understand what each other does and how they see the issues. Once you’ve built that trust and started to exchange data, you can move to a roadmap for action.”
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