The Prague duo of Fortuna Entertainment and Endorphina sound the alarm on 'Brand Spoofing', the imitation of controlled brand names and innovations that is spreading out in CEE markets with no grounds for intervention.

In contrast to its neighbouring states, the Czech Republic has actually experienced little drama in the governance of its gaming sector and licences.

The home market panel of the HIPTHER Prague Summit 2026 even praised the oversight of the Czech Ministry of Finance (MoF) and Celní Správa, the Customs Authority, in using much-needed gamer protection steps presented as of 2024.

In the subsequent years, Czech gaming licences (online and retail) have actually gotten used to heightened demands on civic security, as authorities and work together to leave out approximately 700,000 citizens from gambling through the RVO register.

Yet not all is tranquil on the banks of the Vltava, as Czech leaders sound the alarm on a new and rising risk of 'brand spoofing'.

No amusing organization

The term might evoke the sale of fake bags or cheap counterfeit goods on beach resorts, but as criminal networks target online environments with AI-driven mechanics, brand spoofing is no minor matter, according to Jan Holub, Compliance Lead and Member of the Supervisory Board of Fortuna Entertainment.

Holub offered a breakdown of "bad actors replicating the digital identity of a gambling brand" copying web properties, domains, UX environments and even client interactions to deceive users into "revealing delicate information or downloading malicious software application."

Enhanced by AI, Holub has experienced the development of 'spoofed environments' that not just look like front-end brand names, however likewise reproduce backend systems.

Piggybacking on the brand acknowledgment and marketing activity of controlled operators, these spoofed platforms can generate high engagement with unwary audiences and make millions in illegal funds.

"We have progressed in Czech. But I need to raise this issue of brand name spoofing as a new danger. In my function at Fortuna, I witness phony brands promoted online by means of Google, Facebook and app shops," Holub mentioned.

"We right away ask the platforms to take them down, but the action is sluggish. These phony sites or apps can be live for a period of 2 or three weeks."

Though cooperation with Czech authorities is strong, Holub questioned the absence of accountability for safeguarding the IP of online betting brands among big tech and media platforms - where enforcement is plainly delayed.

A double jeopardy

These concerns are shared by Jan Urbanec, CEO of Prague-based Endorphina, who noted that spoofing is spreading throughout markets and quickly broadening into "the B2B architecture of online betting."

"This is a double jeopardy for our market, as the dangers are not B2C alone. These actors can reproduce the UX of payment gateways, affiliate sites, CRM circulations, and even provider innovations," Urbanec discussed.

As a digital hazard, brand name spoofing produces a multi-layered danger for the balance of regulated markets. Reputational damage ends up being immediate and difficult to contain, as consumers frequently can not compare a genuine website and a cloned interface.

Handling such a nuanced risk, Urbanec told delegates that Endorphina has actually tripled its resources to secure IP - highlighting what he sees as the restricted capacity of regulators to intervene successfully.

"For games developers, there is no genuine IP defense. We need to keep track of every environment, and it is very expensive to track who is copying our brand, engines and algorithms," he said.

Regulators soft on IP protection

Gambling routines across Europe, including the Czech Republic, have largely been designed to recognize and block unlicensed operators as standalone entities. They are less equipped to deal with stars camouflaging themselves as licensed B2C or B2B incumbents, making use of brand trust as their main entry point.