Unlicensed online casinos are exploiting the recognized brand of Tesco to promote fraudulent operations, which have been referred to police and cybercrime authorities. A Facebook page claiming to be the "official Tesco casino" featured the supermarket's logo and described its games as akin to those found in Tesco Extra stores. These casinos falsely present themselves as operating within the UK, capitalizing on Tesco's established reputation in Britain.
This issue extends beyond Tesco, as Barclays' name appeared in advertisements alongside images of Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton. Additionally, promotions for “Monzo slots” featuring the Monzo brand logo have circulated on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Barclays has publicly stated that they are not associated with these ads and are actively pursuing measures against the misuse of their intellectual property. Monzo referred to this situation as an “AI-based scam” targeting banking customers.
There are multiple instances of abuse, including the crypto casino Rainbet, which featured a lookalike of football star Erling Haaland as a croupier. Other familiar names, such as Coral, Gala Bingo, Jude Bellingham, and Bruno Fernandes, have also been linked to similar deceptive marketing campaigns.
Both the UK Gambling Commission and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) are aware of these fraudulent activities. The Gambling Commission has emphasized the seriousness of illegal gambling activities and condemned the manipulation of trusted brand identities to attract individuals to unlicensed casino offerings. They are collaborating with the ASA and anticipate receiving enhanced enforcement powers under the upcoming Crime and Policing Bill, expected to take effect this autumn.
