The Game Authenticity in the Age of Crypto Casinos panel was led by Jack Crabtree, Gamecheck Head of Sales; and Luís Portela de Carvalho, Lektou Co-Managing Partner.
They brought up the peculiar issue of fake games, or at least fake versions of games that are flooding the online casino market.
A fake game is often a straight duplicate of a well-established game that does not play in the way the provider expects – such as different bonuses, RTP rates or payouts.
These fake games are used to target specific demographics who find themselves on illegal websites.
However, player education is not as low as some may think – there are already reports of people in Brazil being cautious of illegal casinos and refusing to sign up, all because they have recognised fake games on the website.
There is a sentiment that if the games are fake, then what else is fake? How far does it go?
If a casino is caught hosting fake games, they face extreme reputational damage. But what about providers?
Well, Crabtree discussed a recent issue with NetEnt that saw the provider get into trouble with Australia, because fake versions of its games were found on illegal platforms.
Even if a provider does not distribute fake versions of its games, it still runs the risk of getting in trouble on behalf of those who do.
Similarly, aggregators that are found to contain fake games risk ruining their entire portfolio.
The ‘Secured by Gamecheck’ label assures customers that a platform has been checked to only contain real games