Tesco has issued an urgent warning after discovering that fraudsters hijacked its brand identity to promote an unlicensed online casino.

The rogue website, which falsely describes itself as "the official Tesco casino", has been targeting UK internet users with claims that its slot machines are "laid out as clearly as the aisles at a Tesco Extra". The operators even lean heavily on the supermarket's FTSE 100 standing and its 107-year trading history dating back to 1919 to convince visitors that the platform is genuine.

In reality, the site holds no licence whatsoever to provide gambling services in Great Britain — a strict legal prerequisite for any operator in the market. A promotional "Tesco casino" page on Facebook was removed after the issue was raised with Meta, but the underlying website remains accessible to users in the UK.

Tesco has flagged the bogus operation with the National Cyber Security Centre and the City of London Police's Report Fraud service. A police spokesperson confirmed that the complaint had been received, though according to reports, the matter has not yet been passed to an individual force for formal investigation.

This is not an isolated incident, and here is why this matters to you: Tesco is simply the latest household name caught in an aggressive wave of unauthorised gambling promotions. Barclays recently had its brand misappropriated for "Barclays Slots" using promotional material featuring Sir Lewis Hamilton's face, while digital bank Monzo was targeted in what it described as an "AI-enabled scam" designed to exploit its brand.

Prominent sporting figures are also finding their names and images used without consent. Boxer Tyson Fury posted a video to Instagram distancing himself from a casino bearing his name, stating he had turned down "millions" from gambling firms. Footballers Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham, and Bruno Fernandes have likewise had their likenesses exploited by rogue operators.

Legitimate betting brands have been impersonated as well, including Coral and Gala Bingo. Bejay Patel, managing director of UK and Ireland at their parent company Entain, warned that rogue casinos are "exploiting British consumers and legitimate businesses alike and paying no taxes, while some of the world's largest technology platforms continue to profit from hosting their adverts." He called on media regulator Ofcom to take tougher action against platforms enabling the activity.

The Gambling Commission has previously criticised Meta over unlicensed casinos appearing across its platforms, describing the hijacking of trusted brands to direct consumers toward illegal gambling as "a particularly cynical version" of criminality. Meta removed the adverts following inquiries, but the tech firm is understood to take the view that the legal responsibility for adhering to local regulations rests with the advertisers rather than the host platform.

A number of the fraudulent sites examined claim to hold licences from Curaçao, a Caribbean territory often used by online gambling businesses lacking authorisation in major regulated markets like the UK. Any such operators serving British customers are doing so unlawfully. Tellingly, the contact pages on both the fake Tesco site and the Tyson Fury-branded page simply lead to a blank screen displaying the words: "Silence is golden."

What we do not know yet is who is running this specific operation, or when police will assign the case to an active investigating team. Both the Gambling Commission and the Advertising Standards Authority are monitoring fake endorsement adverts, but stemming the flow of rogue promotions remains an ongoing challenge. I'll be following this one — check back for updates.