Tesco has notified the City of London Police after falling victim to a scam in which unlicensed casinos used its branding in misleading Facebook and Instagram ads, joining a list that includes Barclays and Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton.
The supermarket is one of several well‑known companies targeted by offshore gambling operators seeking to exploit their brand recognition despite being barred from operating in the UK.
The casinos’ advertisements and websites, promoted through Meta’s platforms, falsely suggest that the brands have launched their own gambling sites.
Lewis Hamilton, Tyson Fury and other sports personalities have had their likenesses used without permission; one operation even employed a look‑alike of Erling Haaland in a Norway jersey.
England midfielder Jude Bellingham and Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes have previously appeared in similar unauthorised ads placed by rogue gambling firms.
Both the Gambling Commission and the Advertising Standards Authority acknowledge the issue, yet have struggled to curb the spread of these deceptive advertisements.
A counterfeit “Tesco casino” appeared on Facebook, complete with its own page, until the Guardian’s inquiries prompted Meta to remove it.
The ads directed users to a website still reachable in the UK that proclaims itself “the official Tesco casino”.
The site claims its slot machines are arranged “as clearly as the aisles of a Tesco Extra” and boasts that the casino is “built on the trust of Tesco, a FTSE 100 firm with 107 years of UK trading since 1919”.
However, the operator lacks a licence to offer gambling services in Great Britain, which is a legal requirement.
Tesco declined to comment but said it had forwarded its concerns to the National Cyber Security Centre and the City of London Police’s Report Fraud service. A police spokesperson confirmed receipt of the complaint but noted that, at present, it has not been assigned to a force for investigation.
Barclays’ branding has also been appropriated in promotional material that features Lewis Hamilton’s image.
In a now‑removed Facebook advert for “Barclays Slots”, an AI‑generated woman was shown having her trousers pulled down to reveal her buttocks before turning to display a Barclays casino game on her phone.
Barclays stated that it “does not endorse or have any involvement” with the content and has taken steps to protect customers from the misleading use of its intellectual property.
Additional ads on Facebook and Instagram have promoted fake casinos such as “Monzo Slots”, employing the bank’s visual identity.
Monzo described the scheme as an “AI‑enabled scam in which criminals exploit our trusted brand to deceive consumers” and urged users to remain vigilant.
Meta said it had taken down the advertisements after the Guardian’s queries, but maintains that responsibility for regulatory compliance lies with the advertisers, not the platform.
Tyson Fury responded to a casino bearing his name by posting a video on Instagram in which he denied any association.
He noted that he has repeatedly refused multi‑million‑dollar offers from gambling firms and would never endorse the sector; there is no indication that the counterfeit Tyson Fury casino was advertised on Meta platforms.
A cryptocurrency casino named Rainbet, which claims licensing from the Indian Ocean island of Anjouan, uses a look‑alike of Manchester City and Norway striker Erling Haaland, depicted as a croupier wearing a Norway top.
Although the site is not accessible to UK users, it was promoted via Meta’s advertising network.
Legitimate gambling operators such as Coral and Gala Bingo have also been impersonated by these unlicensed casinos.
Bejay Patel, Managing Director for UK and Ireland at Entain (owner of Coral and Gala Bingo), said that any casino posing as a licensed operator “is exploiting British consumers and legitimate businesses alike while paying no tax, and allowing major technology platforms to profit from hosting the ads”.
He added: “Ofcom needs to adopt a stricter stance toward the firms enabling this activity.”
The Gambling Commission has previously criticised Meta for its insufficient action against unlicensed casinos, as the regulator struggles to contain a rise in rogue gambling sites.
The Commission stated: “Illegal activity linked to gambling is a threat we take seriously, and exploiting a trusted brand’s identity to steer people toward unlicensed casino products is a particularly cynical form of it.”
It said it would work to shut down websites that target UK consumers and will be more effective from autumn, when the Crime and Policing Bill grants it additional powers.
The Commission noted that unauthorised use of intellectual property falls outside its remit, but that it is collaborating with the Advertising Standards Authority to address the issue.
Many of the sites examined by the Guardian say they are licensed in Curaçao, a Caribbean former Dutch colony that serves as a haven for online gambling firms lacking licences in major economies such as the UK or the US.
Consequently, any service they offer to British customers is unlawful.
Both the Tyson Fury‑branded casino and the fake Tesco casino appear aimed at UK consumers; however, the contact pages are non‑functional. In the Tyson Fury case, clicking the link leads to a page displaying only the text: “Silence is golden”.
The Guardian has contacted Monzo and the representatives of Erling Haaland and Lewis Hamilton for comment.
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