Fake casinos impersonate Tesco in UK ads

Unlicensed online casinos are using the branding and images of major company Tesco referring a fake casino operation to police and cybercrime authorities. The Facebook page advertised a site, calling it “the official Tesco casino,” and made use of the supermarket’s logos while referring to its games as being similar to the rows in Tesco Extra. The casino claims to be operating in the UK while taking advantage of Tesco’s reputation as a prominent company in Britain. The problem is not only related to Tesco. A name of Barclays was used in an ad together with the image of F1 racer Lewis Hamilton, and there are ads on Facebook and Instagram claiming “Monzo slots” with the usage of its brand logo. Barclays announced that they are not responsible for the ad and that they are taking steps against misuse of their intellectual property. Monzo commented on this case by calling it an “AI-based scam” aimed at banking consumers. There are other examples where Rainbet, a crypto casino, used a double from Erling Halland as a croupier. The names of Coral, Gala Bingo, Jude Bellingham and Bruno Fernandes were also used in similar campaigns. The UK Gambling Commission with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) are aware of this issue. The Gambling Commission stated: Illegal activity linked to gambling is a threat we take seriously, and using a trusted brand’s identity to funnel people towards unlicensed casino products is a particularly cynical version of it. The regulator is also working with the ASA and expects additional enforcement powers from the autumn under the Crime and Policing Bill.