Jean-Claude Van Damme unknowingly appears in illegal casino adverts
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11 Jun 2025 •
Reading time: 3 minutes At the heart of a dubious advertising campaign aimed at seducing gamblers, actor Jean-Claude Van Damme has seen his face used without authorisation in an advert promoting an illegal online casino. Before the ban on casino advertising, Van Damme had already lent his image to legal casinos in light-hearted, humorous advertising spots. But this time, it’s a question of null consent and fraudulent exploitation of his identity.
From TV to illegal casino Deepfake
According to recent reports, Van Damme’s image is being used in Facebook and Instagram ads promoting an unregulated alternative casino. The process: clever editing to make it appear that JCVD recommends the site or actually plays. The result? A moral authority borrowed from the star, without his consent.
“Guys, don’t play Plinko! You’ll lose all your money in a minute! There’s only one official application in Belgium, Olympus Reborn. Sign up and get your personal bonus,” says the advert.
Plinko is the name of another illegal casino running very aggressive advertising campaigns on social networks.
A multi-faceted strategy: emotion and credibility
The campaign uses a tried and tested tactic:
- Borrowed authority: Van Damme is famous, likeable and credible.
- Emotional trigger: fabricated phrases giving the impression of easy wins.
- Social proof: fake comments validating the offer.
- Credible packaging: interface imitating the App Store, mention of a reliable app, etc.
The aim of this set-up is to get round the natural mistrust of Internet users by using a familiar face.
Visible facade and murky background
The advert appears on Facebook pages run by foreign companies, while the resulting application links to dangerous casinos. The contrast with the official 777.be / Van Damme collaboration is striking: he is fully involved, certifying these ads via Agence Belga, while the other is a fraudulent use, with no contract or agreement.
While the law protects image rights (in Belgium and elsewhere), it struggles when it comes to deepfakes. Van Damme’s image is well protected, but legal action is slow in coming. What’s more, advertising platforms are slow to remove such content, allowing the controversy to fester.
This manipulation of image is part of a wider strategy: illegal casinos are now surfing on the celebrity of big stars, often via deepfake or rigged montages, to sow confusion and abuse users. Van Damme is just one example. Other victims include youtuber MrBeast, footballers Kevin De Bruyne and Virgil van Dijk, and even journalists from NOS News and Sky News.
It is often not the illegal gambling sites themselves that directly buy advertising on social networks. The system is based on what is known as affiliate marketing: recruiters, often anonymous or hidden behind false identities, distribute these fraudulent advertisements and in return receive a commission for each new user they manage to convince to deposit money on the illegal site. In other words, the more players they attract, the more they earn, which encourages them to use ever more aggressive and deceptive techniques.
Consequences
For Van Damme: risk of tarnishing his image, of appearing to be an unwilling accomplice, when he advocates responsible use of the games.
For Internet users: false confidence, possible financial loss, and a torrent of scams under the guise of “official” approval.
How can you protect yourself?
- Don’t believe the advertising on social networks: in Belgium, advertising for online casinos is prohibited, including on social networks. Bonuses such as free spins and welcome bonuses are also prohibited.
- Check the legitimacy of the application: check the official website of the legal casino to make sure that the application is actually associated with that casino.
- Find out more on sites such as alwaysplaylegally.be or the Gaming Commission’s list of licences.
- Report any questionable content to the platforms immediately.
- Do not share your personal data with suspicious sites.