Portuguese trade body launches criminal complaint against Curaçao-linked operator
APAJO also starts proceedings against influencer and comedian Alexandre Santos for promoting Rokubet brand despite it not holding a licence from the local regulator
The Portuguese Online Betting and Gaming Association (APAJO) has commenced criminal proceedings against Rokubet and comedian Alexandre Santos for promoting unlicensed gambling in the country.
The legal proceedings come after APAJO launched an initial tranche of grievances in November, which included filing complaints against Stake and Leicester City’s front-of-shirt sponsor BC.Game.
The trade body alleged that Curaçao-registered Rokubet allows customers in Portugal to register without any KYC processes, meaning minors and at-risk users are able to sign up.
APAJO also said the operator offers payment methods such as bank transfers from Novo Banco and Santander Totta as well as via Portuguese mobile payments app MB Way.
When accessed by EGR today, 18 February, the Rokubet.pt website remains live with both online casino and sports betting.
There are no links to the Portuguese regulator, SRIJ, on the Rokubet site as is found on licensed Portuguese platforms such as bwin and Solverde.
Alongside launching a criminal complaint against the operator, Portuguese comedian Alexandre Santos has also been targeted by the trade body.
Santos, who has more than 500,000 YouTube subscribers, has allegedly promoted Rokubet to his audience, according to APAJO.
APAJO said that following its latest effort, more than 20 influencers and content creators, along with 13 operators, are subject of criminal complaints for promoting black-market sites.
Ricardo Domingues, APAJO president, said: “The provision of online gambling in Portugal without a licence is an illegal activity, and both unlicensed operators and those who provide and promote them profit from directing users to an unsafe environment, and from evading the payment of taxes to the state.
“According to a study presented by APAJO, almost two out of every three Portuguese people who play on illegal websites are not aware they are doing so, and it is the duty of each of us to report these activities.
“APAJO, as a representative of licensed online gambling operators, has set an example, seeking to protect consumers.”
According to the SRIJ, licensed operators in Portugal reported GGR of €266.3m (£221m) in Q3 2024, up from €215.3m in Q3 2023.
During the reporting period, SRIJ issued 47 closure notifications to unlicensed operators as well as 133 blocking requests to internet service providers.