North America Seeks Stronger Partnerships with European Gambling Regulators

Increasing Cooperation between North American and European Gambling Regulators
Jeremy Locke, president of the North American Gaming Regulators Association (NAGRA), emphasizes the importance of stronger collaboration between gambling regulators in North America and Europe. He advocates for these watchdogs to work together to tackle shared challenges effectively and enhance regulatory efforts.
Learning from Europe’s Regulatory Experience
Locke, who also serves as the Chief Financial Officer at the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, highlighted in a UK Gambling Commission podcast the mutual benefits of cooperation between regulators on both continents. He pointed out that such partnerships would allow the sharing of knowledge, best practices, and help in tracking down operators who violate regulations.
He noted that North America’s gambling sector has undergone rapid modernization over the past several years, making international collaboration essential as the industry becomes increasingly interconnected.
Additionally, examples from other regions, such as Australia’s media watchdog reaching out to gambling authorities in places like Curacao, demonstrate the importance of international cooperation to curb the influence of unauthorized third-party websites.
Beyond holding rogue operators accountable across borders, a collaborative effort could establish a global network of knowledgeable regulators. This network would be better positioned to detect issues like match-fixing early and coordinate legal actions across jurisdictions.
Challenges in Achieving Seamless Collaboration
While European regulators generally have more extensive experience due to a longer history of gambling oversight, Locke recognizes that differences between jurisdictions can complicate cooperation. For instance, in the United States, varying rules across individual states create barriers that can limit effective coordination to bureaucratic hurdles.
Locke stresses the need to develop smoother regulatory frameworks that enable integrated markets while maintaining high standards. Such frameworks should also simplify compliance requirements for operators.
He expressed confidence that closer cooperation between global regulators is inevitable as the industry moves toward a more unified system focused on player protection and preventing misconduct.