In recent years, the online gaming landscape has been marked by an alarming increase in fraudulent platforms. These sites, often carbon copies of reputable online casinos such as Napoleon Sports & Casino, Bet365 or Bwin, manage to climb to the top of search engine results, deceiving many players.
These imitators use aggressive marketing techniques, prohibited to licensed operators, to attract Internet users. Their main aim is to capture the attention of players looking for entertainment, by exploiting the reputation and trust associated with established brands.
Criminals copying the Napoleon Games site
Napoleon Games recently discovered a fraudulent site that closely replicated its appearance. From the logo to the menu to the terms and conditions, everything looked identical to the real official site. Some employees noticed the scam last summer, but the fraudulent site disappeared before they could take action. It then resurfaced, sowing doubt among players.
‘Old versions of our terms and conditions were used, which made the content look familiar,’ explains Florence Leterme, a spokeswoman for the company. ‘We even noted the presence of official logos protected by law and a page dedicated to responsible gambling, the content of which was largely copied from our site.’
The fake site managed to achieve high rankings on Google thanks to illicit optimisation techniques.
‘We found that more than 250 other websites were linked to this fraudulent site, which improves its reputation with search engines and allows it to be positioned at the top of the results,’ explains Kristof Herpelinckx, SEO expert at Napoleon Games.
The risks to players
Venturing onto these illegal platforms exposes users to several major dangers:
- No guarantee of payment: Potential winnings may never be paid out, leaving players with no recourse.
- No personal data protection: Users’ sensitive information can be exploited for malicious purposes.
- Lack of responsible gambling measures: These sites offer no prevention against addiction and do not protect vulnerable players.
- No supervision by the Belgian Gaming Commission: These sites operate outside any legal framework, without control or regulation.
Why do these fake casinos exist?
There are several reasons why scammers create illegal gambling sites. In the case of the Napoleon copycat site, the aim was to redirect players to other illegal platforms. They do this mainly for financial reasons.
Rather than simply stealing bank details, which could quickly alert victims, they use a more discreet and sustainable business model: illegal affiliate marketing. Every time a player is directed to an unregulated gambling site and makes a deposit or plays, the criminals receive a commission.
This technique is advantageous for them because it allows them to generate constant revenue while remaining under the radar of the authorities. What’s more, these illegal platforms are completely unregulated, which means they can change their gaming algorithms, refuse payments or exploit players without fear of punishment. This creates a vicious circle where players are lured by promises of winnings, but find themselves trapped in an opaque and risky system.
How are these fake sites created?
The creation of these fraudulent sites is based on techniques that are accessible to any cybercriminal for a relatively small investment. There are several steps involved in reproducing a legitimate online casino and making it credible in the eyes of players:
- Cloning the original site
Using website copying tools, fraudsters duplicate the look and functionality of a legitimate online casino. They use the logo, menus, terms and conditions and even design elements to fool users. - Buying similar domains
Scammers buy domain names that resemble those of legitimate platforms (for example, with a slight variation in spelling or extension, such as ‘.net’ instead of ‘.com’). This allows them to trick inattentive players into thinking they are visiting an official site. - Hosting in offshore jurisdictions
These platforms are often hosted in countries with lax online gambling laws, making it more difficult to shut them down. This allows cybercriminals to quickly relaunch a site even if it has been reported and deleted.
How can I protect myself as a gambler?
To avoid falling into the trap of illegal online casinos, we recommend that you :
- Check the site’s licence: Make sure that the platform is approved by the Belgian Gaming Commission.
- Only access official sites: Avoid links from unverified or suspect sources.
- Beware of overly tempting offers: Unrealistic bonuses or promotions are often the sign of a scam.
- Seek advice from other users: Other users may have had a negative experience with the site and reported it.
The importance of awareness and vigilance
Collective awareness is essential to counter the spread of these fraudulent sites. Players must be informed of the risks and adopt a proactive attitude to protect their interests. By remaining vigilant and giving preference to licensed operators, every player is helping to clean up the online gaming ecosystem and guard against scams.