For a few years now, rumours that some UK gambling operators have been involved with illegal activities have been roaming across the industry.
Considering the fact that online gambling is related to huge money transactions and enormous Internet traffic generated on a daily basis, makes such concerns even more disturbing, not to mention the fact that competent authorities seem to have not been aware of the problem, or even worse, to be keeping their eyes shut on certain acts of cybercrime.
For quite some time, hackers have been hitting various websites in order to use them for gambling-related practices which are not legal under the current legislation of the UK. Moreover, some of the leading gambling operators in the country have been blamed for working with such cyber criminals for gaining profit on the backs of unsuspecting users.
Are Online Gambling Operators Working with Hackers?
Gambling-related crimes have always been a problem for the industry. With the increasing popularity of online gambling, the number of crimes related to such gambling activities has risen, too. As mentioned above, a certain hacker, or group of hackers, have been attacking various websites over the last few years, aiming to use them for illegal practices related on online gambling activities.
The scheme of the cyber criminal(s) is relatively simple. They are using a network of iGaming affiliate brands in order to “steal” traffic from various websites by attracting potential customers and redirecting them to the websites of a number of online gambling operators in order to draw benefit on their backs.
The issue has been raised on many occasions by law-abiding affiliates on the social networks and the forums of Gaming Portal Webmasters Association (GPWA) and the Affiliate Guard Dog (AGD), but the competent authorities seem to be with their eyes closed for the problem.
The claims that some of the largest UK gambling companies, such as Betway and 888, have been working with the hacker(s) have raised a lot of concerns across the industry, especially taking into account the fact that the cyber attacks have been associated with large affiliate programs like Buffalo Partners.
Despite the fact that many users of the GPWA and the AGD have accused the Buffalo Partners in such illegal activities, the affiliate program has always denied doing so. Betway and 888, on the other hand, seem to be little concerned about the consistent accusations in not only attracting new players through illegal activities, but even funding such activities and hacker attacks.
What is more, the fact that both of the above-mentioned companies offer their services under an operating license issued by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) makes things even worse, as the UK gambling regulatory body has never seemed interesting in taking some actions against Betway and 888, or at least start an investigation on the matter.
Of course, Betway and 888 are not the only iGaming brands which names have been associated with the notorious hacker attacks. Still, it is yet unknown if the operators have actually been involved in illicit actions, which are described as criminal activities under the UK legislation.
Betway
At the beginning of August, Casino Guardian reported that the affiliate program of Betway – Betway Parters – was taken over by the notorious casino affiliate program Buffalo Partners. The latter’s name has long been associated with various schemes and unfair practices in the gambling affiliate sector.
What is more, Buffalo Partners have long been blamed for working with the cyber criminals who initiated some of the hacker attacks, or if not, for knowing about the hacker’s actions and not doing anything in order to prevent them.
888 UK
On the other hand, the 888 UK brand has also raised controversial opinions lately. Despite the fact that the company is currently working under an operating license issued by the UK Gambling Commission and is known as one of the largest ones in the UK gambling market, its fairness and transparency practices have been put under question.
A couple of weeks ago, 888 suffered an enormous £7.8-million penalty imposed by the country’s gambling regulatory body for failing to handle vulnerable customers and poor responsible gambling policy.
UK Gambling Commission (Lack of) Reaction
The hacker attacks aimed at stealing Internet traffic to attract more customers to certain iGaming brands is a serious crime not only according to UK laws, but also under certain EU Directives. However, the fact that the local gambling regulatory body has not done much to obstruct such activities definitely raises some questions and makes the problem more serious.
As mentioned above, both Betway and 888 UK hold operating licenses by the much respected and trustworthy UK Gambling Commission. Keeping crime out of gambling has always been one of the paramount priorities of the Commission, so the fact that it now seems to keep its eyes closed on the problem with cybercrime can not be left unnoticed.
So, will the competent authorities simply leave notorious hackers to draw benefit from local players, or it will eventually do something to tackle with the problem in a market that has always been one of the most competitive and profitable ones on a global scale? That remains to be seen, and Casino Guardian will keep you up to date with the matter.
- Author
Daniel Williams
