The Portuguese online gambling association, APAJO, has signed up to a European Commission Memorandum of Understanding on online advertising and intellectual property rights, joining other online advertising sector stakeholders who are already working together under the agreement. APAJO is the first national gambling association to join the MoU initiative, in addition to the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) at EU-level.
Facilitated by the European Commission, the Memorandum of Understanding on online advertising and intellectual property rights (MoU) is an agreement between stakeholders across various European online advertising sectors to reduce advertising on websites that infringe copyrights, such as illegal sports and movie streaming websites. The Internet’s advertising ecosystem is complex, and this can sometimes lead to advertising from legitimate brands, including gambling companies, being placed on such websites.
EGBA was a founding signatory of the MoU in 2018, and its efforts to promote the initiative to Europe’s gambling sector have yielded positive results since then. A recent progress report by the European Commission found that, in 2021, advertising from major gambling brands had decreased by 55% on copyright-infringing websites in the EU.
The MoU is open to all partners and EGBA encourages other gambling associations to signing up to the MoU and its aims.
Ricardo Domingues, President of APAJO, declared: “Advertisement is a central component of a safe and licensed online gambling environment. This industry is a relevant advertising sector and APAJO members are aware that, in parallel to the promotion of their brands and activities being 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.”
As for Maarten Haijer, Secretary General, EGBA, he stressed: “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. 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.”