Nils Andén, chief betting and gaming officer at FDJ United, shared his views on how regulators and operators can respond to the growing threat of illegal gambling in Europe.
During a fireside chat with host Katie Goldfinch at ICE Barcelona 2026, Andén warned that the illegal market is accelerating rather than stabilising. “In pretty much every market [following] the introduction of re-regulation, we have seen deterioration of the channelisation rate,” he tells Goldfinch. “In certain markets we see, it’s actually speeding up,” Andén adds, reiterating that the current moment is critical and potentially overdue for decisive action.
A coordinated approach to illegal gambling in Europe
According to Andén, regulatory frameworks have tightened across Europe without equivalent enforcement. Rising taxes and tighter product controls have reduced the appeal of regulated offers. Where this happens, he says, enforcement against offshore operators must increase accordingly, or consumers will be pushed toward illegal alternatives.
Effective solutions require coordination across the entire ecosystem, including but not limited to lawmakers, regulators, licensed operators, payment providers and major digital platforms. “You can disturb one chain in the value chain for the black market, but they will always find ways around it,” Andén says.
Aligning safer gambling standards across the group
Andén also highlighted strong cultural alignment on safer gambling following FDJ United’s acquisition of Kindred Group. Work is underway to develop unified group-wide metrics on high-risk player revenue, supported by FDJ United’s regulatory heritage and policy engagement.
Watch the iGB@ICE Studio live on the iGB YouTube channel for more interviews and insights.