Angola Takes Illegal Gambling Fight to the Markets – iGamingToday.com

Angola’s gambling regulator is taking its campaign against illegal betting beyond inspections and into some of the country’s busiest public spaces.

The Institute of Game Supervision (ISJ) recently sent officials to Viana’s Regedoria and Luanda Sul markets, where traders, vendors and shoppers were given information about unauthorised gambling and the legal risks attached to it.

The move is notable because the regulator is treating public awareness as part of enforcement, rather than relying only on inspections after violations occur.

A campaign built around prevention

The outreach was led by ISJ Deputy General Director Cláudio Paulo, alongside Afonso da Silva, who heads the institute’s Supervision and Inspection Department.

Officials spoke directly with people working and shopping in the markets. They explained the rules governing gambling in Angola, the obligations created by the country’s gaming laws and the potential consequences of taking part in unauthorised activities.

The regulator also used the visits to explain why consumers should use licensed gambling operators.

Flyers, posters and roll-up banners were distributed during the campaign. The material covered responsible gambling, the risks associated with illegal gaming and the importance of choosing authorised services.

That approach puts the ISJ’s message in front of people who may never encounter a formal regulatory notice or inspection. It also gives the institute a way to explain the difference between regulated gambling and activities operating outside government oversight.

For the regulator, that distinction is central to its wider strategy.

ISJ plans wider rollout

The market campaign forms part of a broader effort to strengthen supervision of Angola’s gambling industry. The ISJ has been combining inspection work with education and prevention initiatives designed to improve compliance.

The regulator has linked the programme to wider goals that include protecting vulnerable people, addressing risks associated with unregulated gambling and maintaining confidence in the licensed sector.

The Viana campaign is not being treated as a one-off exercise. The ISJ plans to take similar awareness and prevention activities to other parts of Angola while continuing its inspection work.

The strategy is straightforward: make the rules more visible, encourage people to use legal operators and intervene before illegal gambling becomes an enforcement case.

For a regulator trying to tighten control over a national gambling market, the shift from inspections alone to community-level outreach could become an important part of that effort.

Source: gcauthority.com