The gambling industry often occupies a complex and ambiguous space. It dances between two poles: the desire to allow individuals the freedom to make their own choices and the necessity of protecting them from potential harm.
This duality can be difficult for those outside the gambling community to grasp. Many simply cannot fathom how others might find enjoyment in such activities.
While gambling itself exists in this moral grey area, it is essential to recognize that we do not operate in isolation from ethical considerations. I adhere to a long-held principle in my work: I aim to engage in enjoyable pursuits alongside individuals who act ethically. This straightforward mantra has guided me through numerous challenges, helping me maintain a clear path. My goal is to work in a manner that reflects the values I uphold in my personal life. I prioritize honesty and transparency, tackling obstacles as they arise. Although I sometimes wrestle with doubts and negativity, my focus mostly remains on simplicity—what you see is genuinely what you get.
A quote that resonates with me comes from a radio program: "If you never lie, you never have to remember anything." I tend to forget many things, except perhaps for trivia from the late 20th century, which remains etched in my memory.
Unfortunately, not everyone shares this straightforward, ethical approach. Recently, I've encountered numerous accounts of individuals lamenting the unauthorized appropriation of their gambling content. In traditional journalism, it's common to see credit provided to original sources or linkage back to the content, a practice beneficial for search engine optimization. However, the current issue extends beyond mere borrowing of ideas.
This situation has escalated to the level of outright theft. B2B gambling content sites are being scraped and their materials restructured by AI, all without proper attribution to the original creators. Entire websites are being duplicated and modified, packaged, and marketed as legitimate sources, often without any critical examination of their authenticity.
Crafting actual news stories is an arduous and costly process, demanding research, communication, inquiries, and fieldwork. This meticulous effort requires skills developed over time and is often subject to editing and curation. The act of stealing content, by contrast, simply involves some software tools, AI, and a blatant disregard for ethics.
In recent years, the B2B sector has seen an influx of news portals that also engage in affiliate marketing, and while this practice is not problematic in itself, concerns arise with the emergence of numerous content thieves. These are the entities that appear rapidly, resorting to stealing material due to their inability to create their own. They pursue quick profits, mistakenly believing they are outsmarting others.
The term "bad actors" is often employed to characterize individuals engaged in unethical practices. Such terminology applies here, yet I find it fitting to liken them to the notorious Steven Seagal—a figure synonymous with dubious conduct.
A significant instance of this problem was shared by Zoltán Tűndik, well-known in the industry. He noted that, during his time with EuropeanGaming.eu, they faced numerous content scrapers. Initially, this didn’t seem pressing, as the imitators included backlinks to the original site. However, Zoltán later discovered a site that had entirely duplicated their content, including author biographies—akin to staring into a mirror.
Zoltán remarked, "This was way before AI agents. Now with AI agents, you can replicate a website in 30 minutes, even copy the slugs of the articles, everything." This advancement has made it more feasible and quicker for websites to duplicate and repurpose others’ materials.
Similarly, Mihail Criclevit of OnlyiGaming experienced comparable issues. Initially, he adopted a wait-and-see approach, observing the developments without immediate action. However, it soon became evident that the situation was deteriorating. Mihail stated, "The first one that stole content from me literally stole my design piece by piece… one day I find my whole website copied word for word. The thing is, my content is unique."
He elaborated that his platform allows businesses to create their own content, which made the verbatim replication blatantly obvious. Seeing thousands of pages duplicated, almost to the letter, was a stark indicator of theft.
Though OnlyiGaming serves multiple functions beyond news, including job postings, the value in copying such a site remains baffling to him. Mihail claimed he knew who the thief was and identified them as a fellow participant in an industry forum. Yet when he raised the issue, he was dismissed for being "too negative for the group."
Protecting one’s online content remains a challenge in a world where it is all too easy to duplicate work. Unfortunately, seeking support or standing up for one’s rights in community forums can lead to alienation, as the focus often lies on maintaining a positive atmosphere rather than addressing infringement issues. The only recourse left seems to involve attorneys dispatching polite yet firm requests to wrongdoers who clearly disregard ethical norms.
This troubling trend isn't unique to the gambling sector; it permeates businesses of all kinds worldwide. My primary question for those engaging in this unethical behavior is straightforward: What did you aspire to be when you woke up this morning?
You're not in dire straits, resorting to theft out of necessity; there is nothing commendable or smart about what you're doing. You’re not playing the part of Robin Hood; instead, you are simply outright thieves leveraging new technology to pull off age-old misdeeds.
In an industry that is tightly knit, professional gatherings, product launches, and social events often mean we all cross paths. There may yet come an opportunity for accountability face-to-face.
