Tesco and other UK brands targeted by unlicensed casino ads on Meta platforms
Tesco reported to City of London police that its brand was used in a fake casino promotion on Facebook and Instagram, part of a wider scheme hijacking well-known UK companies and athletes.
Tesco has notified City of London police that its name and logo were exploited in a fraudulent casino advertisement on Facebook and Instagram, which presented a website posing as an “official Tesco casino”. The page, still reachable in the UK, claims the casino is built on Tesco’s trusted history but holds no gambling licence. This incident follows a pattern of unlicensed operators copying the branding of major UK firms—including Barclays, Monzo and sports personalities like Lewis Hamilton, Tyson Fury, Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland—to lure consumers.
Both the Gambling Commission and the Advertising Standards Authority are aware but have had limited success in stopping the ads. Tesco referred the case to the National Cyber Security Centre and the Report Fraud service, while City of London police have logged the complaint. Meta said advertisers, not the platform, must comply with local rules and has taken down several of the ads after inquiries.
Why it matters
Brand theft by illegal gambling ads misleads consumers and evades UK licensing rules.
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