Today’s gambling industry is increasingly branded as “iGaming” — a rebranding effort that recasts a harmful and addictive activity as a harmless, even glamorous, form of entertainment.
While industry players tout the concept of “responsible gambling”, this framing shifts the burden onto individuals rather than addressing the systemic issues at play. Regulatory measures remain weak, and problem gambling continues to soar.
In Germany alone, an estimated 4.6 million people are either addicted to gambling or at serious risk of developing an addiction — posing a significant public health concern across Europe.
With support from the IJ4EU fund, the journalists behind this investigation teamed up with media partner Follow the Money to comb through the contents of #Casinopapers — a massive, unprecedented leak from inside a major gambling corporation.
Together, they examined thousands of confidential documents and uncovered a sprawling network of hundreds of illegal online casino platforms. These operations flout national laws and prey on vulnerable users, many of whom lose tens of thousands of euros they can’t afford to spend.
Faced with a lack of access to official spokespeople, the team went undercover to hear what gambling insiders say behind closed doors. Posing as industry professionals, they recorded candid conversations revealing how operators routinely circumvent consumer protection laws.
Tactics included manipulating social media algorithms, disguising transactions through third-party payment providers and deploying mirror sites to evade regulatory blacklists.
National regulators and law enforcement agencies often lack the tools — or the authority — to take meaningful action. The masterminds behind these platforms operate from behind layers of shell companies in tax havens, shielded from legal accountability.
The Gambling Network exposes the inner workings of a billion-euro shadow industry and reveals how the system is rigged — against the most vulnerable.