The Portuguese Association of Online Betting and Gaming (APAJO) identified 500 cases of promotion of unlicensed online gambling operators in Portugal during the 2026 Football World Cup. The organization focused its monitoring during this major sporting event, which attracts a significant increase in online betting and gaming.
Social media concentrated the overwhelming majority of these illegal activities, representing 90% of the total detected cases. Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and others were the main channels used to promote these unauthorized operators.
APAJO warned of the risks associated with these unlicensed operators, which operate outside Portuguese regulations. Consumers who use these services are left unprotected in terms of financial security, personal data protection and dispute resolution mechanisms.
This phenomenon arises in a context where Portugal has been strengthening oversight of the online gambling sector, which is subject to licensing by Reguladorbet. The identification of these 500 cases during the World Cup demonstrates the scale of the problem of illegal gambling promotion in the country.



