Trustpilot under fire: fake casino review leads to illegal (Belgian!) gambling site
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16 Feb 2026 •
Reading time: 2 minutes
“How can this still be on there?” That’s the question critics are asking after a review on Trustpilot was found to link to an illegal gambling site. The situation raises questions about the control of the platform.
Gambling Club discovered that a rave review about a supposedly Belgian online casino on Trustpilot directs users to Cosmobet.cc. That provider does not legally operate in Belgium or the Netherlands. Yet the review is still online.
A few clicks and you’re at an illegal casino
At first glance, nothing seems wrong. A five-star review about a professional-looking Belgian casino appears at the top. But those who click on the link in the review end up at a platform that is not registered anywhere. Cosmobet.cc operates without a license.
The site is open to Dutch and Belgian players in violation of the law. Players can deposit, wager and lose money there – without supervision, rules or any kind of protection. That this can be done through Trustpilot causes surprise and frustration.
Trustpilot says it relies on reports
The platform, which presents itself as trustworthy and transparent, states that users can report suspicious content. But critics point out that to do so, you must first see the problem. And in this case, the deception actually leads to clicks.
According to Trustpilots’ own rules, reviews should not contain illegal or misleading links. Yet here they do, without the system intervening. This puts pressure on the credibility of the platform.
Casino review is no exception, experts fear
The discovery is not an isolated incident, say experts. Online casinos more often try to lure visitors to illegal sites through sham reviews. Especially on platforms like Trustpilot, where control is partly lacking and companies are also allowed to actively ask for reviews themselves.
For users, the difference between real and fake is barely noticeable. And as long as platforms like Trustpilot do not tackle this more strictly, the risk remains that a simple review will lead to something much bigger – and more dangerous.