Addressing the “Plague” of Illegal Betting
While the government has not yet provided specific details on the upcoming bill, Minister Castro Almeida stated that the focus will be on four key areas: oversight, sanctions, active prevention, and increasing public awareness regarding the dangers of unauthorized platforms.
“Illegal online gambling destroys many people, many families, many individuals, and it’s also terrible for the economy,” the minister noted during the event. He further invited industry stakeholders to contribute their own suggestions for combatting the issue, stating, “If changing the law is necessary to make it easier to combat this problem, suggest it. The government is here for that.”
A Collaborative Campaign
The legislative push coincides with the launch of a new multi-agency awareness campaign titled “Nem tudo o que parece é jogo seguro” (translated as “Not everything you see is safe gambling”). This initiative is a joint effort between several key organizations:
- Directorate-General for Consumer Affairs (DGC): Led by Director-General Jorge Seguro Sanches, who emphasized that the campaign aims to educate consumers on the specific risks associated with illegal platforms.
- Food and Economic Security Authority (ASAE): Partnering in the oversight and enforcement efforts.
- Turismo de Portugal’s Gaming Regulation and Inspection Service (SRIJ): The national gaming regulator, which recently launched a centralized self-exclusion portal in April 2026 to help protect consumers.
- The Judicial Police: National Director Carlos Cabreiro highlighted the “dangers of fraudulent schemes linked to illegal gambling,” explicitly citing risks like identity theft, financial fraud, and the distribution of spyware and ransomware.
Market Context
The urgency of the new legislation follows a period of significant growth for the regulated Portuguese online gambling market, which saw gross gaming revenue reach €287 million in the second quarter of 2025—a 9.6% year-on-year increase.
Minister Castro Almeida estimated the total value of Portugal’s online gambling market at approximately €24 billion, warning that illegal operators are capturing a substantial and rapidly expanding share of this activity.