Tesco has reported the unauthorised use of its name by an online casino after advertisements promoting a supposed gambling operation connected to the supermarket appeared on social media. The website remained accessible to users in Britain despite lacking the licence required to provide gambling services in the country.
The supermarket referred the matter to the National Cyber Security Centre and Report Fraud, the fraud-reporting service operated by City of London Police, GB News reports. Police confirmed that they had received Tesco’s complaint, although it had not been passed to a police force for investigation “at this time”.
The fake gambling operation used Tesco’s identity across its website and Facebook advertising. A dedicated Facebook page also promoted the casino before Meta removed the material following media inquiries.
The associated website described itself as “the official Tesco casino” and used references to Tesco’s retail operations and corporate history. It claimed that its slot machines were “laid out as clearly as the aisles at a Tesco Extra” and said the casino was “built on the trust of Tesco, a FTSE 100 company with 107 years of UK trading history since 1919”.
The operation has no licence from the Gambling Commission authorising it to offer gambling services in Great Britain.
Major Brands and Sports Figures Targeted
The Tesco case forms part of a broader series of unauthorised casino promotions using established brands and prominent sports figures to give gambling websites the appearance of legitimacy.
Barclays branding appeared in promotional material for a supposed “Barclays Slots” product alongside the likeness of Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton. One Facebook advertisement that has since been removed featured an apparently AI-generated woman before showing a Barclays-branded casino game on a mobile phone.
Barclays rejected any connection to the material, stating that it “does not endorse or have any involvement” with it. The bank also took action intended to protect its customers from the misleading use of its intellectual property.
Monzo has faced similar misuse of its imagery in advertisements for fake slot products circulated through Facebook and Instagram. The online bank described the material as an “AI-enabled scam where criminals take advantage of our much-loved brand to trick people” and advised customers to remain alert.
Sports personalities have also appeared in promotions without their permission. Boxer Tyson Fury publicly distanced himself from an online casino using his identity, saying that he had previously rejected “millions” offered by gambling companies and would never promote the industry.
Jude Bellingham and Bruno Fernandes have also had their images used without consent by gambling operators. Another case involved cryptocurrency casino Rainbet, which claims to hold a licence from Anjouan. Its advertising used an apparent Erling Haaland lookalike wearing a Norway shirt and acting as a casino croupier. The casino itself was unavailable to UK users, although its advertising appeared through Meta.
There is no indication that the athletes involved endorsed the gambling operations using their identities.
Gambling Companies Call for Stronger Action
Licensed gambling businesses have also been impersonated. Coral and Gala Bingo, both owned by Entain, have appeared in material associated with unlicensed casinos.
Bejay Patel, managing director of UK and Ireland at Entain, said casinos impersonating authorised operators were “exploiting British consumers and legitimate businesses alike and paying no taxes, while some of the world’s largest technology platforms continue to profit from hosting their adverts”.
Patel also called for greater intervention from the UK communications regulator.
“Ofcom needs to take a harder line on the companies facilitating this activity.”
The Gambling Commission and Advertising Standards Authority are aware of the wider problem surrounding fake casino promotions. The Gambling Commission has previously criticised Meta over the presence of advertisements linked to unlicensed gambling businesses.
The regulator said: “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 Gambling Commission can act against websites illegally offering gambling to British consumers, although unauthorised use of companies’ intellectual property falls outside its remit. It is working with the Advertising Standards Authority and expects additional powers from the autumn under the crime and policing bill, which it believes will improve its ability to disrupt illegal gambling websites.
Meta removed the identified advertisements after inquiries about them. The company is understood to take the position that advertisers carry responsibility for complying with regulations in the markets they target.
Overseas Licences Do Not Authorise UK Gambling
Several casino websites connected to the wider issue claim to hold licences issued outside Britain. Some sites examined in relation to the fake promotions cited Curaçao licences, while Rainbet claims licensing from Anjouan.
Holding an overseas licence does not provide permission to offer remote gambling services to customers in Great Britain. Operators need the appropriate British authorisation if they provide gambling services to consumers in the market.
The fake Tesco casino appeared to target UK customers while continuing to operate through a website carrying the supermarket’s identity. The Tyson Fury-branded casino also appeared to target British consumers.
Attempts to identify the parties behind some of these operations through their websites produced little information. The contact link on the Tesco-branded casino did not function. On the Tyson Fury-themed site, the corresponding page displayed only the message: “Silence is golden.”
The incidents have also raised questions about how unlicensed gambling businesses gain access to advertising platforms and the services required to operate online casinos. Such operations rely on advertising accounts and gambling software while also requiring systems for handling customer payments.
For Tesco, the misuse of its name has now resulted in reports to cybersecurity and fraud authorities. The social media advertisements and Facebook page linked with the fake casino have been removed, while the casino website was still accessible to British users when the issue was reported.