Checklist
Eight red flags of a fake betting app or advert
A fake betting app or advert shows one or more of eight signs: no entry in the GRAI register, someone else's licence number, a copied brand, a link that is not from a store, a request to pay outside the app, a promised win, no 18+ or help notice, or pressure to act at once. One sign is enough to stop.
Editorial team · checked
The eight red flags
| # | Red flag | How to check | What it breaks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | No entry in the GRAI register | Search the register by licensee name | Betting without a licence is an offence (s.67(1)) |
| 2 | A licence number that is someone else's | Match number, activity and trading names on the register card | Posing as a licensee is an offence (s.111(2)) |
| 3 | The brand is copied | Compare name, spelling and developer with the operator's own site | ASA Code 4.35 and 4.36 |
| 4 | The link is not from a store | Does it end in an App Store or Google Play page? | Our rule: stores only |
| 5 | You are asked to pay outside the app | Does the app itself take the payment? | A stop sign in our method |
| 6 | A win is promised | Read the claim: does it promise an outcome? | ASA Code 10.12(k) |
| 7 | No 18+ and no help notice | Look for both on the page and in the app | ASA Code 10.10 |
| 8 | Pressure to act now | Is there a timer, a deadline or a threat? | A pattern we treat as a stop sign |
In short: eight signs; any one is a reason to stop.
What each flag means
- Flags 1 and 2. A real licensee is on the GRAI register with a number that matches. See how to check a licence.
- Flag 3. A copy of a known brand misleads you about who runs the service.
- Flag 4. A real app is installed from the App Store or Google Play (why not a file).
- Flag 5. A genuine operator takes payments inside its own app or site.
- Flag 6. The ASA Code bars promising a win or showing unrealistic outcomes.
- Flag 7. ASA Code 10.10 asks each advert for a responsible gambling message and a source of information.
- Flag 8. Pressure removes time to check.
In short: every flag points back to one question: who runs this, and is it licensed?
If you see a flag
- Flag 1 or 2. Do not install or deposit. Note the date.
- Flag 3 or 4. Delete anything you downloaded. Do not enter details.
- Flag 5. Stop paying. If you paid, contact your bank.
- Flag 6, 7 or 8. Close the page. Compare with the pre-install checks.
- Any flag. Report it: how to report a fake app or advert.
The GRAI can seek a High Court order against advertising or providing unlicensed betting (s.75).
In short: stop, do not enter details, then report.
How we checked
- Law: ss.67, 75 and 111 of the Gambling Regulation Act 2024. ASA Code rules 4.35 and 4.36, 10.10 and 10.12(k).
- Not checked: any live fake app or advert. We did not look for examples.
- Still to capture: the current ASA Code wording on each rule, with the date.
In short: the rules are sourced; no live example was checked.
What changed
- 7 November 2026: first version of this page.
In short: no earlier versions exist.
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