Supermarket Giant Tesco Falls Victim to ‘Endorsement’ Ad Scammers

The "Endorsement" Casino Scam

The company is the latest household name to have been targeted by rogue firms looking to use brand recognition to lure in new customers, with multiple sports stars, including Tyson Fury, Lewis Hamilton and Erling Haaland, all promoted via Meta platforms without consent. 

A fake “Tesco casino” was advertised on Facebook and had its own page until being challenged by British newspaper The Guardian, giving the false impression that the chain had launched a legitimate casino.

The site describes its slot catalogue as being “laid out as clearly as the aisles at a Tesco Extra”, and that the casino is “built on the trust of Tesco, a FTSE 100 company with 107 years of UK trading history since 1919”.

Other high street names to have had their branding used include Barclays’ bank, with AI-generated ads for “Barclays slots” appearing on Facebook. 

Barclays has stated that it “does not endorse or have any involvement” with the advert, and has taken action to prevent the spread of misinformation using its intellectual property. 

Meta has said that it has taken down the adverts following an inquiry, though the company is understood to believe that it is the advertisers and not the platform that is responsible for complying with local regulations. 

Regulatory Response

The Gambling Commission has criticised Meta’s approach to regulating the promotional content on its platforms. The Commission 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”.

⚠️ Warning for Players

Scammers often try to piggyback off trustworthy brands and celebrities to try and get players to spend money on dodgy sites. Irish players should always question online ads, even if they feature household names and appear on platforms you trust. If you’re even slightly suspicious of a gambling platform, opt for one of our trusted casinos instead.