The Portuguese Online Gambling Association (APAJO) has launched a new membership status， Effective Partner， for non-operator companies who want to join the organisation.
Three companies will join the Partner programme on launch， Evolution， IGT and Playtech.
Ricardo Domingues， President of the Board at APAJO， said: “We are very proud and happy to welcome Evolution， IGT and Playtech， all leaders in this business who have been supportive of the concept from the beginning， as the first Partners of APAJO.
“Other entities have also expressed interested to come onboard and we hope to announce further Partners in the coming months.”
Nicholas Peters， Evolution Chief Business Development Officer in Europe， said: “Evolution’s goal is， as ever，Free games to ensure we are present from day one in all newly regulated markets.
“This partnership is a great step towards maintaining this ambition. Our experience has shown that an ongoing dialogue and collaboration among suppliers， operators and regulators before launching a new market has led to jurisdictions implementing a sustainable infrastructure that promotes player engagement and safety."
Luke Orchard， IGT SVP， Chief Compliance and Risk Management Officer， said: “As a Company that has a long history in supporting a well-regulated industry， IGT is pleased to advance the Portuguese Online Gambling Association’s mission via our Effective Partner membership.
“APAJO plays a critical role in shaping a positive play environment for players， suppliers and operators across Portugal and protecting the long-term success of the iGaming sector.”
Charmaine Hogan， Playtech Head of Regulatory Affairs， said: “Playtech is delighted to join APAJO and collaborate with both local operators and our international peers to support growth of the sector in Portugal.
“As a well-established B2B gambling technology supplier in Portugal， we have been delivering a diverse， entertainment-led offering across many verticals as well as our safer gambling data analytics and AI tools in the market."
Earlier this year， APAJO signed a Memorandum of Understanding with The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA).