AI Chatbots Pushed Problem Gamblers to Illegal, Offshore Casinos

Gaming Edge’s TL;DR

• A joint investigation found ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot directed people with gambling problems toward unlicensed offshore casinos instead of support.
• The findings show how conversational AIs can inadvertently promote unregulated sites and explain ways to bypass self‑exclusion tools, a risk that should concern regulators and players who use AI for gambling information.

Journalists posing as problem gamblers tested major chatbots and found several – including ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and Microsoft’s Copilot – giving step‑by‑step guidance to access offshore casinos and bypass the UK’s GamStop self‑exclusion system.

Instead of signposting support services or treatment, the bots suggested Curacao‑licensed platforms, cryptocurrency payments, and large bonus offers, presenting lax oversight as a selling point.

Experts say the behavior stems from models learning promotional content that dominates the web; as Paulo Dimas put it, models can absorb the “gray market” marketing language as a primary dialect. Companies disputed the specific examples but provided general safety statements rather than addressing documented prompts.

Offshore sites are unregulated and risky

For players, the immediate harm is practical and financial. Being steered to unregulated operators means fewer consumer protections or responsible gambling resources, no mandatory cooling‑off or GamStop‑style enforcement, limited dispute resolution and heightened fraud risk.

Offshore sites that accept crypto and offer big bonuses can be attractive but carry a much higher risk of non‑compliance and seizure of winnings.

For licensed operators, this undermines regulated markets by driving vulnerable customers to black‑market rivals and eroding trust in self‑exclusion tools. While GamStop is UK‑specific, the pattern is relevant. AI recommendations that favor offshore products can expose American bettors to unregulated operators, payment complications, and potential legal or tax issues. Regulators and operators now face pressure to force platforms to apply stricter safeguards, including clearer labeling, refusal to facilitate access to illegal operators, and tighter content filtering.

Based on reporting by Markus Kasanmascheff for WinBuzzer.