The UK Gambling Commission has confirmed that it has entered a strategic bilateral cooperation agreement with Portuguese gambling regulator, the Serviço de Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos of Instituto do Turismo de Portugal (SRIJ).
Working together both regulatory organisations will seek to strengthen their legislative codes and combat illegal gambling activities through knowledge and information sharing,
Both parties stressed that further bilateral cooperation between EU member states was needed in order to create effective legislative frameworks and best practices for the European online gambling sector.
Portugal is a recent incumbent of legalised online gambling, approving its regulatory bill in June 2015. The country saw its first registered international online betting operator as Betclic secure its licence in May 2016.
In a short statement published by SRJI, the regulator commented
“This bilateral cooperation agreement will strengthen and complement the general framework of the cooperation agreement on online gambling services signed by the gambling regulatory authorities of EEA Member States, dated November 2015.”