Space Goonz

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On the Instagram profiles of gambling operators, the content varies according to the brand’s strategies. It ranges from the use of humorous and entertaining videos to the generic use of AI in banners advertising promotions, available casino games and important sporting events with betting odds.

Most of the accounts recommended by Instagram’s algorithm are irregular, especially those from international companies that, although they may be legal in their country of origin, do not have authorisation from the SPA to operate in Brazil, and are therefore illegal.

The specialised media – channels, portals, journalists and gossip profiles – complete this ecosystem with profiles focused on reporting on sports and the promotion of gambling platforms.

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In a LinkedIn post on Monday, Keurmerk Verantwoorde Affiliates (KVA), the Dutch casino affiliate quality mark, voiced concerns about the role of Google search in directing Dutch consumers towards illegal online gambling sites.

The group highlighted potential risks posed by Google’s organic search features beyond paid advertising, which include autocomplete and suggested queries. 

Using data collected primarily through Chrome’s incognito mode to exclude personalised search histories, the KVA identified several autocomplete and pre-fill search queries that directly suggested illegal gambling platforms to users.

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Speaking to iGB at the time, Bjorn Fuchs, chairman of VNLOK Fuchs noted “there was a sigh of relief going through the room when it was presented”.

Rather than a crackdown across the board, what emerged was a more regulated renewal framework.

Of the KSA’s update, Fuchs said: “If you [as an operator] have a clean sheet, there are some hoops, but for various modules you can just send a declaration which states that you’re compliant.”