The International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR) will hold its first Illegal Gambling Awareness Week (IGAW) from November 9 to 13, 2026, in what the association describes as the first internationally coordinated effort to raise consumer awareness of the risks of unlicensed online gambling.
IAGR presented the plan at a briefing during its Annual Conference in Lima. The week will support coordinated communications among member jurisdictions, and its central message is simple: consumers should check whether a site is licensed in the place where they play before they place a bet.
“The reach of online gambling makes this a shared challenge for regulators,” said Ben Haden, President of IAGR. “By coordinating our consumer communications, we can help more people understand why local licensing matters and where to find reliable information before they engage with an operator.”
Consumer risks on unlicensed platforms
The IAGR warns that people who use unlicensed sites may face unpaid winnings, limited options for dispute resolution, and misuse of their personal or financial information. These consumers may also lack access to the responsible gambling protections that locally licensed operators must provide.
The association added that uninformed consumers may also unknowingly fund criminal organizations involved in drug trafficking, human trafficking, terrorist financing, or other illicit activities.
Campaign materials from R&R Partners
R&R Partners developed the creative concept and materials for IGAW. The agency is an independent marketing and communications firm with experience in public education and behavior change campaigns.
Its integrated campaign aims to raise awareness of the prevalence of unlicensed gambling websites, and it will also teach consumers how these sites exploit trust and how to avoid falling victim.
All IAGR members will receive the campaign materials on November 6 for distribution on their own channels. The package contains a 30-second video, a 15-second video, social media content, a draft press release, and talking points. The initial set of assets is available in English and Spanish.
Members may add their agency branding to the materials, post campaign content daily from November 9 to 13, issue local announcements and arrange media interviews. Consumer protection bodies, responsible gambling organizations and other relevant organizations will also be encouraged to take part.
A free licensing lookup for consumers
The November campaign will feature CheckBeforeYouPlay.org, a free licensing information tool that Sharp Vision contributed.
The Paris-based regulatory technology company helps gambling regulators monitor markets, analyze betting and payment data, and identify unlicensed online gambling sites.
The tool goes live on November 9. Consumers can enter the URL of a gambling site to check available licensing information for covered IAGR member jurisdictions, and the tool draws on regulatory records and other verified public sources.
“People often mistake visibility for trust,” said Kevin Mullally, CEO of IAGR. “A professional-looking website or a recognisable name can give consumers confidence without knowing whether the site is properly licensed in that location. We want consumers to routinely check the licensing status of a site before opening an account or making a deposit.”