In the latest episode, Robin Harrison and Ed Birkin invite Jack Crabtree, head of sales at GameCheck, to discuss the company's role in combating the proliferation of fake slot games. GameCheck specializes in detecting illegitimate or manipulated games that are found on unlicensed or grey market websites.
Crabtree highlights GameCheck's certification badge, known as the SEAL, which authenticates genuine games for operators. This badge has gained significant traction in less regulated regions, particularly in Turkey.
Brazil has emerged as a major focus for GameCheck, revealing over 6,800 identified fake games in the country. Crabtree explains how Brazil's rapid market growth has created appealing opportunities for rogue operators.
Historically, GameCheck primarily protected revenue for suppliers, but Crabtree notes a strategic shift towards a more sustainable model that aids both operators and suppliers.
Examining the broader impact of these fake games, GameCheck and H2 Gambling Capital report that around 8,500 counterfeit games have been found worldwide, although Crabtree believes the actual number may be higher. This issue tends to be more pronounced in grey or unregulated markets.
Research conducted with BetBlocker produced a telling discovery: many sites that were not on its blocklist were in fact hosting fake games. The question of how much revenue is lost to these fraudulent operations is significant, with Crabtree holding a figure he shares during the episode. He also relays concerns from Evolution’s CEO, who labeled game cloning as a major source of revenue leakage, drastically lowering their returning player value as cloned games generate no income for the legitimate developer.
With increasing pressure on studios from dwindling margins and a saturated game market, the prevalence of counterfeit games has become an urgent concern that cannot be overlooked.
Listeners can also catch a candid discussion that almost was left on the cutting room floor, revealing playful disagreements over cartoon preferences between the hosts.
