Online gambling company RakeTech Group has been found to have used a website with children-oriented content to refer potential customers to online gambling operators, Swedish news outlet Breakit reported earlier today.
In addition, RakeTech seems to have used a domain similar to that used by a Swedish children’s organization.
Based in Malta, RakeTech was established back in 2010 as a poker affiliate company targeting Scandinavian players. It later on extended the scope of its business to the promotion of online casino and sports betting services. Currently, the company owns one of the biggest online gambling affiliate networks, expanding its presence and operations with the constant acquisition of different iGaming affiliate websites.
As reported by Breakit, RakeTech used the barnverket.nu domain to attract potential gambling customers and to refer them to gambling websites. The above-mentioned website contained children-related articles and images.
The domain was the same as the one of BARNverket, a Swedish organization that provides parents with information on their children’s rights and related topics. The network’s website is also aimed at facilitating access of children from different parts of the country and different social circles and their parents to better opportunities for education and development. The BARNverket’s website can be accessed at barnverket.se.
While at first glance the purpose of the copycat .nu website seemed similar to that of BARNverket’s website, upon scrolling down, a visitor could spot a paragraph that referred to affiliate websites. Those affiliate websites, in turn, referred to the websites of online gambling operators, a typical example of affiliate marketing.
The contentious website is now down and RakeTech has responded to Breakit’s request for comment. Michael Holmberg, Co-Founder of the iGaming affiliate company, explained that barnverket.nu had been owned by a company RakeTech had recently acquired. Mr. Holmberg further pointed out that the website, its content, and the way it referred players to gaming operators were not in line with their business model and that they would not use it in future as well as any other websites with controversial content and means to target customers.
News about the website and RakeTech’s involvement emerged only a day after Catena Media, another iGaming affiliate company originating from the Nordic Region and based in Malta, was scolded by the Netherlands Gaming Authority for its marketing activity in the country.
Catena Media was found to have targeted Dutch players through affiliate websites in a manner that did not comply with local regulations. The company was issued a cease and desist order by the gambling regulator and was warned that it could face a hefty fine if it fails to comply with Dutch gambling laws in future.
Both RakeTech and Catena Media have expanded their businesses and presence across Europe through multiple multi-million acquisitions of major iGaming affiliate networks.
