Lotteries provide entertaining and engaging gaming products that are safe and socially responsible. It is sometimes difficult to be competitive and ensure customer retention when unauthorized betting platforms operate illegally within our respective jurisdictions.
Lotteries strive to ensure that all aspects of their operations are legal and transparent. Above and beyond that, WLA member lotteries abide by internationally recognized standards for responsible gaming and information security management such as the WLA Responsible Gaming Framework and the WLA Security Control Standard. This helps to ensure players are protected and that lotteries can fulfill their mission of raising funds for good causes.
Illegal betting operators do not care about the welfare of their players. They are solely interested in their profit margins and have been known to promote their brands aggressively and recruit online players with bonuses even where they are not authorized to do so.
In this context, it is essential that state-authorized lotteries stand up and fight such unethical business practices. At minimum, the following should be observed in each jurisdiction:
- State legislators should require that Internet providers blacklist all illegal operators.
- The GAFAM2 tech giants should be required to enforce local laws on illegal betting operators.
- Websites that partner with illegal betting platforms should be sanctioned.
Unfortunately, many illegal betting ads that aggressively solicit players can still be found online.
As a state-authorized lottery your duty is to protect your players. This means reporting any illegal gaming operator to your regulator or the nearest GAFAM contact. It will help you protect your players, increase your GGR, and raise more funds for good causes within your community. It is our aim to maintain sports betting good practices at the highest level. The reputation of the lottery and sports betting sector depends on it!
2 The five big tech giants: Google, Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Microsoft.
SWOT analysis
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6576f4a6c3bd795ab3808f1d/667eae71c87acbc57ecfd863_lotteries.webp)
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6576f4a6c3bd795ab3808f1d/667eae88aebe8d7b676f3258_illegal-operators.webp)
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6576f4a6c3bd795ab3808f1d/667eaf3716db0ac50356b60d_iStock-1128064196_1280x640.webp)