The Corporación Iberoamericana de Loterías y Apuestas de Estado (CIBELAE) officially launched its “Seminar on Illegal Gambling and Security” on March 25.
Hosted by Costa Rica’s official lottery, the Junta de Protección Social (JPS), the event gathered over 25 national lotteries and global regulators to address the escalating threats of fraud and unlicensed operations in the digital age.
“Technology and Regulation Against Fraud”
Under the endorsement of the World Lottery Association (WLA), the seminar emphasized that isolated national efforts are no longer sufficient. Javier Millán, President of CIBELAE, set a defiant tone in his opening remarks, stating that all legitimate operators are “sharing the same trench” in the fight for industry integrity.
The discussions centered on a three-pronged technical strategy to disrupt illegal networks:
- Advertising Restrictions: Aggressive curbing of illegal operator visibility.
- Infrastructure Blocking: Working with ISPs to dismantle digital access.
- Financial Disruption: Partnering with banks to choke payment channels.
A Call for Institutional Positioning
Mariela Vargas, President of the JPS, stressed that strengthening inter-jurisdictional coordination is the only way to reinforce the role of lotteries as vital social institutions. Meanwhile, Renato Siqueira of Caixa Loterias (Brazil) argued that technical tools must be paired with public awareness.
“Technology adoption is not enough; it is essential to have an excellent institutional positioning. Society has to recognize not only the official nature of gaming but also its social contributions”.
The seminar concluded that illegal gaming must be viewed as a criminal offense, requiring a proactive judicial approach and preventive campaigns to reduce consumer demand for unregulated services.
