Exclusive: The Pools’ closed online casino branding mimicked by black market affiliate
Liverpool-based operator sees its recently shuttered online casino proposition repurposed to direct users to an unlicensed operator serving the UK
The Pools has had its branding mimicked by a black market affiliate purporting to be the operator’s recently shuttered online casino arm.
The Pools, which was founded in 1923 as the Football Pools, closed its online sports betting and online casino offering last month.
The Pools sports betting and online casino offering closed down on 15 June, after the operator confirmed the planned closure on 26 May.
In the FAQ section on the company’s website, The Pools said the decision was due to a strategy pivot to focus on The Pools’ jackpot products, including Classic Pools, Lucky Clover and Goal Rush.
However, an affiliate purporting to be The Pools’ online casino brand is using the URL ‘the-pools.uk’ to push consumers to illegal operators, EGR has discovered.
There is no suggestion The Pools is at fault or complicit in the operation of ‘the-pools.uk’.
The portal, which has a close resemblance to The Pools official site, includes tabs for Login, Registration, Bonuses, along with game tiles.
However, clicking various tabs and tiles on the site directs visitors to an unlicensed casino operator, Great Slots.
The offending affiliate site is also running large banner ads offering a “150% Welcome Bonus up to £500 + 200 Free Spins”.
When users click to claim that offer, they are again redirected to Great Slots.
Towards the bottom of the site, an FAQ section (see below), suggests that the mimic is linked to the regulated The Pools offering.
The footer also includes an email address, as well as click-through logos for the Responsible Gambling Council and Gentoo Media affiliate site AskGamblers.
The Pools holds multiple B2B and B2C licences with the UK Gambling Commission, going back to May 2017.
As per Companies House filings, former CEO James Arnold had his position as a director at the business terminated in March.
EGR has previously reported on other operators that have been impacted by similar tactics orchestrated by rogue affiliates, including Betfred, Bally’s and Betty.
Betfred’s branding was repurposed for the ‘Betfred.ie’ site, while Bally’s and UK newcomer Betty were affected, too.
The fraudulent Irish Betfred domain was uncovered in the wake of the bookmaker announcing it would be pulling out of Ireland as part of the regulatory transition in the country.
EGR has contacted The Pools for comment and to report what we found.