The Portuguese online gambling association joins the MoU initiative

APAJO, the Portuguese online gambling association, has signed up to the European Commission Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on online advertising and intellectual property rights, which makes it the first national gambling association to join the MoU initiative, which is facilitated by the European Commission, in addition to the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) at EU-level.

In 2018, EGBA was a founding signatory of the MoU, which is an agreement between stakeholders across various European online advertising sectors to reduce advertising on websites that infringes copyrights, such as illegal sports and movie streaming websites. A recent progress report by the European Commission revealed that, in 2021, advertising from major gambling brands had decreased by 55% on copyright-infringing websites in the EU. “Advertisement is a central component of a safe and licensed online gambling environment. The industry is a relevant advertising sector and APAJO members are aware that, in parallel to the promotion of their brands and activities boing indispensable to the channelization of the Portuguese consumer to the regulated environment, we have the responsibility of adhering to and promoting good practices in advertisement and communication. We are very happy to join the EGBA and other signatories of the MoU, as we subscribe to its spirit and mission”, said Ricardo Domingo, President, APAJO. “We welcome APAJO joining us in support of the European Commission’s initiative to reduce advertising on copyright-infringing websites. The initiative has already proven that when we work together, online advertising sectors can achieve positive results. But there is still more work to do and we continue to encourage other gambling associations to sign up to the MoU and play their part in ensuring that gambling advertising, and its placement, is conducted in a responsible way”, added Marteen Haijer, Secretary General, EGBA.