The Illinois Gaming Board has joined the International Association of Gaming Regulators’ first Illegal Gambling Awareness Week, a five-day international campaign urging consumers to verify that online betting and casino services are licensed where they play.
The initiative runs from Nov. 9 through Nov. 13 and centres on a simple message: check a gambling site’s local licence before depositing money or placing a bet. It is intended to coordinate consumer communications among IAGR member jurisdictions.
The campaign has launched CheckBeforeYouPlay.org, a free tool that allows users to enter a gambling site’s URL and view available licensing information in covered IAGR member jurisdictions. The site draws on regulatory records and other verified public sources, and was contributed by the Paris-based regulatory-technology company Sharp Vision.
IAGR made campaign materials available to member agencies on Nov. 6, including 15- and 30-second videos, social-media content, a draft press release and talking points in English and Spanish. R&R Partners developed the campaign’s creative materials.
The Illinois board said illegal operators can imitate licensed brands through polished design and familiar names, while some sites licensed offshore may still operate unlawfully in the United States. IAGR President Brian Krolicki said such websites were becoming more numerous, sophisticated and visible, making it harder for people to distinguish them from legitimate operators.
Consumers using unlicensed sites may have no effective route to recover unpaid winnings or resolve disputes, and face risks including financial fraud and misuse of personal information. Such services may also lack age checks and anti-money-laundering controls, as well as responsible-gambling protections required of licensed operators, including tools and voluntary self-exclusion protections.
As covered in October, the Illinois Gaming Board has separately advanced proposed rules to extend the state’s voluntary self-exclusion programme to video gambling. The board maintains a registry of Illinois-licensed casino, sports-wagering and video-gaming operators, while residents can confidentially report suspected breaches of the Illinois Gambling Act, Video Gaming Act or Sports Wagering Act through its online portal or hotline.
Administrator Marcus D. Fruchter said the board would continue using its regulatory authority to combat illegal gambling, uphold state law and protect Illinois residents from fraud. It also plans to work with U.S. and international regulators and law-enforcement agencies, reflecting the cross-border nature of internet gambling.
IAGR describes public education as one part of a wider regulatory response that also includes licensing, enforcement and cooperation with payment providers, platforms and other authorities. It notes that precise measurement of illegal gambling markets is contested, though enforcement activity is substantial: Great Britain recorded about 208,000 actions involving illegal online gambling between October 2024 and September 2025, while Italy had blocked more than 11,400 unauthorised gambling domains by September 2025.
The awareness week concludes on Friday, Nov. 13.
