Syria’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology has cracked down on the black market by blocking a slew of gaming platforms.
As reported by the Syrian Arab News Agency, the ministry released a statement on Telegram explaining that the decision was made as part of its work to create a safe digital environment after receiving complaints from citizens.
All forms of gambling are prohibited in Syria and the ministry said that the websites will remain blocked until a committee can verify the activities of the websites.
The statement highlighted the financial and social risks of illegal online gambling for individuals and families.
Targeting social media
Alongside blocking websites, officials said that they have also contacted social media platforms to ensure that the blocked websites are not advertised to citizens.
Such a move continues a global trend of focusing on how the black market is advertised.
Last week, the Betting and Gaming Council’s Chief Executive Officer, Grainne Hurst, urged social media platforms and tech companies to make a renewed commitment to tackling illegal gambling.
Hurst urged the companies to more proactively identify and remove illegal gambling advertising, invest more resources into detecting the black market and strengthen collaboration with the relevant authorities.
She wrote: “This is not a call for confrontation. It is a call for leadership and collaboration. None of us can solve this challenge alone. But equally, none of us can stand on the sidelines while illegal operators exploit gaps in the system.
“We stand ready to work with every platform willing to help protect consumers, disrupt illegal operators and ensure the online ecosystem is not used as a gateway to gambling harm.”
Meanwhile, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Dutch regulator, confirmed it was among several regulators present at a meeting with Meta in Dublin about the promotion of illegal gambling, after lambasting social media platforms for ‘not nearly enough’ action on the subject.
