The consumer reviews platform Trustpilot, which promises to help users “find a company you can trust”, is hosting pages for illegal online casinos, raising serious concerns that it is inadvertently lending legitimacy to unlicensed operators linked to severe financial harm and suicide.
Analysis identified reviews on the site for brands including MyStake, Velobet, and Goldenbet, which form part of the unlicensed Santeda casino network. Offering gambling services without a licence from the UK Gambling Commission is a criminal offence, yet Trustpilot hosted pages where users praised the sites’ game variety and loading speeds, treating them as legitimate businesses.
Predatory targeting of the most vulnerable
The core danger of these unlicensed sites lies in their deliberate targeting of some of the most vulnerable gamblers. They actively pursue individuals who have taken the step to self-exclude from licensed UK casinos by registering with the national scheme GAMSTOP. Research from the Gambling Commission itself identifies self-excluded players as a key audience for these illicit websites, which often use marketing tactics such as “not on GAMSTOP” to attract them.
While GAMSTOP, used by over 500,000 people since its 2018 launch, is effective at blocking access to UK-licensed operators, it holds no power over offshore or unlicensed sites. This critical gap allows predatory operators to bypass a key consumer protection measure, targeting those who have already recognised they have a problem.
The potentially tragic consequences of this were starkly illustrated in January by the inquest into the death of 36-year-old Ollie Long. The coroner ruled that gambling disorder contributed to his suicide and that unlicensed operators were part of the “factual matrix” leading to his death. He had gambled on illegal sites after self-excluding from licensed platforms, with bank statements showing losses of £20,000 in a single month before he died. His family believes these predatory systems “consumed his mind” and that authorities are “failing” to protect people.
Government and parliamentary concern
The situation has prompted alarm in Westminster. A spokesperson for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said the government was “deeply concerned about all forms of illegal gambling, including the growing number of unlicensed online casinos.” They pointed to the work of a new illegal gambling taskforce, backed by £26m in funding announced in the November budget, which brings together tech firms, payment providers, and regulators to tackle the issue. The government is also consulting on banning unlicensed operators from sponsoring British sports teams.
Labour MP Alex Ballinger, a campaigner for tougher gambling regulation, said he was concerned given Trustpilot’s role is to reassure the public. “There is no justification for promoting sites that are not permitted to operate in the UK and are contributing to increased gambling harm and tax evasion,” he said. Mr Ballinger has been a vocal critic of the current regulatory framework, previously calling for higher taxes on risky online products and highlighting the clustering of betting shops in deprived areas.
Trustpilot’s defence and a history of scrutiny
In response to questions, Trustpilot said it “takes the risks associated with unlicensed gambling extremely seriously” and has systems to identify and act against such businesses. The company stated that illegal businesses are “not permitted on Trustpilot” and that it had removed 3,400 profiles linked to unlicensed gambling in the past week alone. It also took down review pages for affiliate websites that drive traffic to casinos after being contacted.
However, the platform appeared to claim that reviews for the illegal casinos themselves did not breach its policies, and those pages remained. Trustpilot emphasised that it “does not endorse or verify the legitimacy of businesses,” describing itself as an “open platform where consumers can share experiences.” The company added that the growth of unlicensed operators was a broader industry challenge and it would “continue to take action where we identify breaches.”
Trustpilot’s approach to review authenticity has faced external scrutiny. In March 2026, Italy’s competition regulator fined the company €4 million for failing to adequately verify reviews and misleading consumers.
The unlicensed casinos in question, like many targeting the UK, often operate under a Curaçao license, which is invalid in Britain. The Santeda network, to which MyStake, Velobet, and Goldenbet are linked, is connected to a Swiss-Georgian firm called Upgaming, which has denied ownership or operational links despite corporate documents suggesting deep connections.
The issue sits within a wider context of significant gambling harm in the UK, where an estimated 20% of the population is directly or indirectly affected. Between 117 and 496 gambling-related suicides are estimated to occur in England annually, with some figures suggesting there are 1.3 million problem gamblers in Great Britain. While the Gambling Commission regulates the licensed market, it does not typically help consumers retrieve money lost to unlicensed operators, prompting ongoing debate about the adequacy of the 2005 Gambling Act and calls for new legislation.
