ICE Barcelona targets record-breaking 400 regulators as industry comes together to combat illegal gambling – G3 Newswire
Summary
ICE Barcelona has announced an enhanced Regulatory Programme for January that aims to bring around 400 regulators to the show, up from 300 at ICE Barcelona 2025. The move follows a European Casino Association report estimating illegal online gambling costs EU member states roughly €20bn a year in lost tax revenue.
Organisers, led by ICE Portfolio Director Margaret Dunn, have formed a Regulatory Advisory Board and introduced benefits for regulators including access to the ICE World Gaming Gala, discounts, closed-door sessions, working lunches and the World Regulatory Briefing operating under Chatham House Rules to encourage frank discussion.
Combatting the illegal market and protecting players is one of six core themes at the ICE World Gaming Forum, which will explore the interplay between tightening regulation (tax changes, AML scrutiny and advertising limits) and the resurgence of illegal markets, alongside the need to balance consumer protection with innovation to keep legal markets competitive.
Key Points
- ICE Barcelona has launched an enhanced Regulatory Programme targeting about 400 regulators for the January event (up from 300 in 2025).
- A Regulatory Advisory Board helped shape the programme, which offers exclusive access to events, discounts and closed-door sessions for regulators.
- The European Casino Association estimates illegal online gambling costs EU states c. €20bn per year in lost tax revenues.
- The World Regulatory Briefing will switch to Chatham House Rules after the opening sessions to promote open, unattributed dialogue.
- Combatting the illegal market and protecting players is one of six core topics at the ICE World Gaming Forum.
- The forum will debate how tighter regulation (tax, AML, advertising) interacts with illegal market growth and the need to keep legal markets attractive through innovation.
Context and Relevance
The announcement signals ICE’s intent to position the show as the global meeting place for regulators and industry leaders to coordinate on enforcement, policy and market protection. With regulators attending in greater numbers, expect heightened focus on enforcement tools, information-sharing and regulatory cooperation — all relevant to operators, suppliers and compliance teams preparing for policy shifts across jurisdictions.
Why should I read this?
Quick take: ICE is pulling regulators and industry players together to tackle a massive €20bn problem — and they mean business. If you work in compliance, regulation, operations or are tracking where the market will go next year, this is where the conversations that shape policy will happen. Saves you time — read the bits that matter and skip the noise.
Author style
Punchy: this is industry agenda-setting, not just fluff. The scale of regulator attendance and the use of Chatham House Rules suggest ICE wants concrete outcomes — worth digging into if you care about legal market health.
