Paresh Rughani, Compliance Officer at Play'n GO, issues a warning: Illegal gambling, crossing borders, regulatory vacuums, and lack of accountability are threatening the stability of the entire regulated gambling ecosystem. To protect players and maintain industry reputation, we must collectively address this invisible war.
Illegal Gambling: A Global Threat That Cannot Be Ignored
Over the past decade, it has been a period of rapid development for the global iGaming industry. Regulated markets are becoming more mature, and mechanisms for responsible gambling are continuously improving. However, behind the bright growth figures, a shadow is quietly expanding—the underground market of illegal gambling.
This type of illegal operation is almost unregulated, often hiding in legal blind spots. Paresh Rughani warns that these unlicensed platforms not only lack deposit limits and fail to implement anti-money laundering procedures but also evade taxes. They often attract players by mimicking the appearance of legitimate websites, evading IP blocking and using VPNs, thereby eroding the achievements of the regular market.
More seriously, they damage the entire industry's foundation of trust. Once players encounter injustice or fraud on illegal sites, few can distinguish whether it's the fault of "black platforms" or an industry-wide issue, ultimately harming the reputation of all legitimate gambling operators.
Fighting Illegal Gambling Requires More Than Isolated Efforts
Rughani points out that relying solely on blacklists, technical blocking, or single-country regulatory actions is far from enough. The illegal gambling market has already globalized, challenging the entire governance system's collaborative strength. He calls for the construction of a multilateral cooperation network that includes governments, regulatory bodies, platform operators, payment companies, and even internet service providers.
He emphasizes, "We don't need more complicated rules, but smarter, more forward-looking regulatory frameworks. Making legal gambling more attractive in terms of safety and user experience is essential to curb the trend of players moving towards illegal platforms from the source."
Education and Experience: Key to Changing User Perception
An often overlooked factor is the ordinary player's ability to recognize illegal platforms. Most people are unaware that they are using unlicensed platforms because these websites often imitate the interfaces of legitimate operators and provide no warnings or responsible gambling tools.
Paresh believes that in addition to regulatory measures, the entire industry needs to enhance user education. For example, setting up a dedicated "Safe Gambling Identification" section on industry-led websites to teach players the basic standards of recognizing legal platforms.
Industry Self-Regulation: Not an Option, But a Prerequisite for Survival
Rughani calls for compliance not to be seen merely as fulfilling obligations but as an integral part of the brand's core values. He states bluntly, "We can no longer push the responsibility to 'others.' If we, as industry stakeholders, do not actively participate in solving the problem, then we are part of the problem."
At Play'n GO, the company only cooperates with licensed operators, firmly refuses to provide products to the illegal market, and supports strict and transparent regulatory policies. He asserts that short-term benefits should not override the industry's long-term development.
Conclusion: An Industry at a Crossroads Needs a Collective Response
Rughani concludes, "Fighting illegal gambling is a systemic challenge and an opportunity for the industry to prove itself. If we unite, technology, regulation, and industry actions can form a synergy to protect our hard-earned achievements."
Play'n GO believes that the iGaming industry has been able to transform, grow, and lead in the past, and now it also has the responsibility to once again be at the forefront.
