MGC supports Illegal Gambling Awareness Week
- November 10, 2026
- by Kaitlyn Quinn
- 0 comments
This week, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) is joining gaming regulators worldwide in recognizing the first-ever Illegal Gambling Awareness Week, a global campaign led by the International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR). The campaign aims to help consumers identify and avoid unlicensed online gambling sites.
As part of the campaign, IAGR launched Check Before You Play, a free tool at checkbeforeyouplay.org. Members of the public can enter a gambling site’s URL to see whether it is licensed where they are located. Because licensing varies by jurisdiction, a site may be authorized in one place but not another. Results are based on regulatory records and other verified, publicly available sources.
Illegal gambling sites are growing in number and are increasingly hard to distinguish from legitimate operators. The risks of using these illegal platforms extend beyond potential data breaches or financial losses. Unlicensed operators may refuse to honor winning bets, leaving consumers with little to no recourse. Illegal gambling activities are also often tied to other serious crimes.
Operators in the Commonwealth are required to display the MGC Seal of Approval on their platforms. The seal is intended to serve as a clear signal to consumers that they are accessing a sports betting platform licensed and regulated by the MGC. By prominently featuring this seal, customers can easily distinguish between legal, licensed operators and unsafe, illegal alternatives.
Additional information on the Seal of Approval, as well as a list of operators licensed in the Commonwealth, can be found on the Commission’s website.
More information about IAGR is available here.