The study, whose sample was expanded to 1,000 people this year, shows that the percentage of players using exclusively licensed platforms has not exceeded 60%, a figure reached in the 2022 edition (after initially being below 50% in the first few years). The situation is even more worrying in the 18-24 and 25-34 age groups, where the use of exclusively licensed operators does not exceed 52.1%.
Ricardo Domingues, President of APAJO, is it[called:”Licensed operators, legislators and regulators must aim for greater dominance of exclusively legal online gambling, ideally never less than 80% of users. We believe this is possible in a relatively short period of time with the right measures against illegal operators and the continued development of licensed products..”
The study’s methodology identifies who actually plays on licensed or illegal operators, and separately asks players to indicate whether they play on unlicensed platforms. This approach helps assess how aware players are of the status of the sites and applications they use. Of those who play on illegal platforms, only 37.7% admit to doing so. The majority, 62.3%, either do not report using illegal operators or do not know if they do.
Ricardo Domingues warns of the “immediate danger to the security of users” that illegal platforms pose: “Currently, the illegal operators are mostly obscure projects that blatantly exploit the ease with which they can reach Portuguese viewers, bypassing all consumer protection regulations and tax payments. These organizations put players at risk in a variety of ways, from their balances to their personal and financial data, and often behave in a predatory manner towards vulnerable viewers..”
“We must also take into account the lost tax revenue, which we estimate at over 100 million euros. It would be crucial to prevent these operators from promoting themselves through social media, influencers and sponsored articles in Portuguese media, and to ensure that they have payment methods such as Multibanco and MBWay available,“, adds the managing director.
The main reasons for preferring unlicensed platforms, according to their users, are higher bonuses, better chances of winning and a wider selection of games.
Players who use illegal platforms also indicate some products and services that they like in this environment and that they would like to find at licensed operators: a wider range of sports betting, the possibility of combining bets within the same game, virtual sports, live casino and eSports betting. Those who prefer licensed platforms highlight security (61.3%), better customer support (37.3%) and faster payouts of winnings (32.6%).
For Ricardo Domingues, these preferences are revealing.”If laws, regulations and oversight allow the development of licensed products that meet consumer expectations, we will see more players entering the regulated market. The products and features identified by the Portuguese players in the study have been available in other regulated European markets for some time.”
According to the APAJO study, 71.5% of respondents report spending up to €50 monthly, with most spending less than €25. Among players who only use licensed operators, the percentage of players who spend up to €50 rises to 77.6%. The study also shows that the percentage of users in higher spending brackets is significantly higher among those who bet with illegal operators.
Regarding responsible gaming tools, 78.2% of players are aware of the existence of these tools at licensed operators and 43.3% say they have already used them or are currently using them. Both awareness and use of these tools are higher among younger people (18-35 years old). Among the various options, deposit limits (45.5%) and bet limits (55%) are the most commonly used.
APAJO fights illegal gambling and has recently filed several criminal complaints against influencers who promote illegal gambling platforms, such as ritinhayoutuber, GODMOTA and Bruno Savate, and again “Numeiro” (previously reported in 2023). Cláudia Nayara was also reported in early 2024. These people promote unlicensed operators through affiliate links and profit from this activity. In June, seven illegal operators were targeted with criminal complaints to the Public Prosecutor’s Office for lack of licenses.
APAJO
APAJO is a non-profit association dedicated to protecting and promoting the online gambling and betting sector, especially for companies operating legally in Portugal. It also focuses on preventing and combating illegal gambling and promoting responsible and safe gambling. The association was founded in 2018 and its president is Ricardo Domingues. APAJO’s members include Betano, Betclic, Bwin, Casino Portugal, ESC Online, Solverde.pt, BacanaPlay, Pokerstars, Evolution, IGT – International Game Technology, Playtech and Omega Systems.
Source: GMB
