Trustpilot hosts reviews of illegal casinos, raising concern among MPs | Gambling
Review website Trustpilot, which offers to “find a company you can trust”, hosts ratings of illegal casinos, raising concerns in Westminster about potential risks to consumers.
Unlicensed casino operators, which have been linked to financial harm, addiction and even suicide, have flooded the UK market in recent years, often targeting people trying to limit their gambling by “self-exclusion” from licensed operators.
Yet Trustpilot hosts reviews of some of the largest unlicensed sites exposed in a recent investigation into the illegal Santeda casino network by the Guardian and Investigate Europe, as if they were legitimate businesses.
The Guardian’s analysis found reviews for brands that do not have a license from the Gambling Commission, including Santeda’s MyStake, Velobet and Goldenbet.
It is a criminal offense to provide gambling services without a license from the regulator.
However, Trustpilot hosted review pages praising the sites’ purported qualities, including the variety of slot machine games and fast loading speeds.
Trustpilot also hosted review pages for “affiliates” that directed traffic to such sites.
Trustpilot removed its affiliate review pages after the Guardian contacted the company. However, it was revealed that he claimed that investigations into illegal casinos did not violate their policies.
A spokesperson for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) expressed concerns about reviews on Trustpilot.
“We are deeply concerned about all forms of illegal gambling, including the increasing number of unlicensed online casinos,” officials said.
“Examples like these show why the work of our new illegal gambling taskforce is so important,” they said, referring to plans funded by £26m of new funding announced in the November budget.
“We need urgent collective action from all parties to protect consumers and ensure that those who wish to gamble are directed to the regulated market where they can do so safely,” DCMS added.
Labor MP Alex Ballinger, who has campaigned for tighter gambling regulations, said he was concerned about the reviews given Trustpilot “aims to reassure the public about the trustworthiness of a business”.
“There is no justification for promoting sites that are not permitted to operate in the UK and contribute to increased gambling losses and tax evasion,” he added.
Trustpilot said it “takes the risks associated with unlicensed gambling extremely seriously and has ongoing systems and processes to detect and take action against such businesses on our platform.”
It said illegal businesses were “not allowed on Trustpilot” and took action against them in line with internal policy, leading to the removal of 3,400 profiles linked to unlicensed gambling last week alone.
However, it said it “does not endorse or verify the legitimacy of the businesses.”
“We are an open platform where consumers can share their experiences, and the presence of a profile does not imply regulatory approval or license.”
While it removed reviews of affiliate websites, it did not remove reviews of illegal operators flagged by the Guardian.
“We have reviewed the specific examples you shared and have taken action against those who violate our policies,” he added.
“The growth of unlicensed and offshore gambling operators is a wider industry issue that is increasingly being scrutinized by industry regulators. We are monitoring this area closely and continually adapting our enforcement approach as this activity evolves.
“We will continue to take action when we identify violations and evolve our approach as this activity evolves.”
An inquest in January found unlicensed operators were part of the “true matrix” that led to the suicide of 36-year-old Ollie Long.
The illicit market has since come under increasing scrutiny in light of concerns that it is growing rapidly and targeting vulnerable consumers, including those signed up to GamStop, the UK-wide self-exclusion scheme for people seeking to wean themselves off from gambling.
