Responding to a changing landscape

Illegal gambling and emerging betting models are evolving faster than ever. They threaten sports integrity, undermine consumer protection, create an uneven competitive landscape, and weaken the important contributions that lottery and betting organizations licensed or authorized by their respective jurisdictions make to governments, good causes and society.

These developments raise fundamental questions. What distinguishes legal from illegal gambling? How large are illegal gambling markets? How should new products such as prediction markets be regulated? And, most importantly, how can our sector respond effectively to these rapidly evolving challenges?

For the WLA, these are not simply questions to be observed – they are challenges to be understood, addressed and anticipated.

This issue demonstrates how the WLA is responding to this changing landscape through three complementary pillars: research, advocacy and collaboration. Together, these pillars help ensure that our members are equipped to respond to today’s challenges while preparing for those of tomorrow.

Research

One of the greatest challenges in combating illegal gambling has been the absence of a common methodology to assess its true scale. Estimates of illegal gambling markets vary widely, making it difficult for policymakers and regulators to understand the problem and develop effective responses.

To address this challenge, the WLA, in partnership with the University of Lausanne (UNIL) School of Criminal Justice, has launched a first-of-its-kind initiative to develop a standardized methodology for estimating illegal gambling markets. By providing a robust and transparent framework, this project aims to equip governments, regulators and the wider industry with reliable evidence to support more informed policy decisions.

In this issue, we explore the project’s latest developments and discuss how this work can help strengthen the global response to illegal gambling.

Advocacy

Research alone is not enough. It must also inform public policy.

As prediction markets continue to expand into areas traditionally reserved for lotteries and betting operators, the WLA has taken a clear position. Our Position Paper, Prediction Markets: Unlicensed Betting by Another Name – Threats to Sports Integrity, Consumer Protection, and the Lottery and Betting Sector, calls for closer cooperation between gaming and financial market regulators to close regulatory gaps and ensure that comparable products are subject to equivalent standards of licensing or authorization, integrity, consumer protection and societal contribution.

In this issue, we examine why this debate matters and the actions the WLA is encouraging regulators, governments, sports organizations and other stakeholders to consider in order to preserve the integrity and sustainability of our sector.

Collaboration

No single organization can address these challenges alone.

The first joint WLA, ULIS and EL Seminar, Anticipate, Fight and Forward Looking, brought together members and experts from 21 countries to exchange knowledge and practical experience on illegal gambling, competition manipulation, security and risk management.

Feedback from participants confirmed strong satisfaction with the seminar and highlighted a clear appetite for continued content and collaboration on emerging issues, particularly illegal gambling, prediction markets and international cooperation.

Throughout this issue, we revisit the seminar’s highlights, featuring insights from regulators, law enforcement, academia, sports organizations and industry leaders working together to strengthen sports integrity and combat illegal gambling.

Supplier perspectives

Suppliers to our sector also play a vital role in navigating this changing landscape. In this issue, they share their perspectives on sustainability in supply chains, how they are supporting lotteries and betting operators in the fight against illegal operators, and the evolving implications of prediction markets.

Looking ahead

The challenges facing our sector will continue to evolve. So must our response.

Through research, advocacy and collaboration, the WLA will continue to support its members in navigating an increasingly complex environment, protecting sports integrity, strengthening consumer protection, and preserving the public value that lottery and betting organizations deliver to governments, beneficiaries and society.

As these challenges continue to evolve, so too will our commitment to providing the evidence, partnerships and leadership needed to help our members respond with confidence.