Poker Writer
Two illegal online casinos have used deepfakes of World Cup superstars Jude Bellingham and Bruno Fernandes to present them as official partners of their brands.
The casinos Nightwin and QH88 have used fake news articles, photographs, and even AI-generated videos to make it appear as if the two soccer stars are promoting illegal gambling, according to a report from The Guardian.
Deepfakes have made headlines in casino scams recently. MGM notably disavowed any connection between the global casino giant and videos circulating of Executive Director Pansy Ho soliciting investments. AI has made the creation of such videos easy. Any user can make realistic-appearing videos at the touch of a few buttons.
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Bellingham Bet
Nightwin is an online casino that can be accessed in the U.K. with slots and live games and ironically has the tagline “Britain’s most honest betting app.” It is only licensed in Curacao. The casino branded a catchy phrase, “Bellingham Bet,” to play off the image of the popular England star who just scored a brace in England’s win vs Mexico in the World Cup Round of 16.
The Instagram advertisement completely fabricated a story claiming that Bellingham himself launched the bet. It also used the stylized signature of the Real Madrid player which is promoted by Adidas.
The Bellingham Bet only lasted for a few days before it disappeared without trace.
Bruno Fernandes Victim of Deepfake Videos
The AI identity theft of Portugal’s Bruno Fernandes is even more involved and extreme. The Vietnamese sportsbook and casino QH88 built an entire website revolving around the brand and its purported association with Fernandes. The website included an AI-generated deepfake video of Fernandes signing an ambassadorial contract with QH88. It even used Old Trafford as the setting, the iconic stadium of the Portuguese star’s club team, Manchester United.
QH88 likely chose Fernandes due to Manchester United’s popularity in the country to make it seem like he was striking a deal with a Vietnamese company. The video looked very realistic and could easily fool anyone who was quickly scrolling.
Soccer Stars’ Relationships With Betting Operators
Global soccer stars getting involved with betting sponsorships has also been a touchy subject. Many clubs have betting sites as kit sponsors, yet in many countries, it is illegal for the players themselves to promote gambling of any kind. Former Belgian star Eden Hazard got into hot water with Belgium’s gambling regulator regarding an ambassadorship with Stake.
Some other former stars, like Iker Casillas of Spain and Sergio Aguero of Argentina, openly promote a relationship with Stake on their social media accounts.
Notably, those players promoting betting operators and gambling sites have retired from active competition. Active players can’t profit from such relationships. That would violate Article 27 of FIFA’s Code of Ethics, which prohibits any active players, coaches, or officials from benefiting from an association with any betting operators. Legal operators are not exempt from the policy.
Photo credit: Barcex / Wikimedia Commons (license)
