Trustpilot Hosts Reviews of Illegal Casinos, Alarms UK MPs

The Guardian's investigation reveals a troubling issue with Trustpilot, a platform ostensibly designed to help consumers find trustworthy businesses. The website is hosting reviews for illegal online casinos, prompting serious concerns among UK Members of Parliament about the potential dangers posed to the public.

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These unlicensed operators are not only operating outside the law, which is a criminal offense in the UK, but they are also linked to severe consequences such as financial ruin, addiction, and even suicide. The article highlights a particularly disturbing trend: these sites often target individuals who are actively trying to limit their gambling by self-excluding from licensed platforms, effectively preying on those seeking help.

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We are deeply concerned about all forms of illegal gambling, including the growing number of unlicensed online casinos.

Despite the illegality of these operations, Trustpilot has been found to host review pages praising the unlicensed sites, such as MyStake, Velobet, and Goldenbet, as if they were legitimate businesses. This practice is particularly concerning given Trustpilot's stated mission. While the company did remove review pages for "affiliates" that directed traffic to these illegal casinos after being contacted by The Guardian, it appears to maintain that reviews for the casinos themselves do not violate its policies.

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Examples like this show why the work of our new illegal gambling taskforce is so important.

This stance has drawn criticism from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), which expressed deep concern and emphasized the importance of the new illegal gambling taskforce. Labour MP Alex Ballinger also voiced his dismay, stating there is "no justification for promoting sites that are not permitted to operate in the UK." Trustpilot maintains it takes risks seriously and has removed thousands of profiles linked to unlicensed gambling, but insists it is an open platform and does not verify business legitimacy.

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We need urgent collective action from all parties to protect consumers and ensure that those who want to gamble are directed to the regulated market, where they can do so safely.