Portugal's gambling regulator, SRIJ, has begun using a platform from French company Sharp Vision to automatically detect illegal online gambling operators, Portuguese outlets Observador and ECO reported Sept. 28.
The €19,990 contract was signed by Turismo de Portugal, which oversees SRIJ (Serviço de Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos). The contract, published on the government procurement portal Base, runs for one year and can be renewed for another year.
The platform will find websites of illegal operators that are accessible from Portugal and check whether internet service providers comply with blocking orders. The system will also gather evidence for administrative proceedings against violators.
The regulator will receive real-time market indicators, including data on the share of players who move from illegal operators to licensed ones.
The project aims to move away from manual checks and speed up the authorities' response, The Portugal News reported.
Sharp Vision President Cyril Casanova said Portugal is the first jurisdiction to use a comprehensive automated tool of this kind. In other European countries, he said, the work is still done manually.
"When it comes to fighting the illegal market, ambition must be reasonable," Casanova told Observador. He said the goal is not to wipe out the illegal market entirely but to give the regulator data to understand what is happening in it.
Casanova said illegal operators use sophisticated technology to stay ahead of regulators.
Sharp Vision said automation does not replace human work and the regulator keeps full ability to verify the system's results. The company already works with regulators in several jurisdictions, including countries in Europe, South America and West Africa.
