Offshore casino targets Alphonso Davies's family with deepfake ad

Edmonton-raised soccer superstar Alphonso Davies is an internationally recognized celebrity.

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And, that also makes him and his family a target for AI scams.

On Friday, an advertiser going by the name of “Prime Spin Zone” posted an Instagram ad that purported to show the father of the Bayern Munich star being arrested by Edmonton police. The video goes on to show a vault filled with money. It then goes to a scene where Davies’s father is being released, as police come to realize that there’s been a misunderstanding — the money is from legal gambling proceeds. The AI image of Davies’s father then tells viewers they should go online and play the same casino he did. There is also an endorsement from an AI image of Canadian music icon Drake.

When the ad is clicked through, the viewer lands on Oxibet, a gambling site based in Comoros that is not regulated in Alberta. Oxibet is a so-called “black market” site that accepts Canadian players.

Davies’s agent, Nedal Huoseh, was furious to learn of the ad’s existence, calling it “lies.”

“They don’t gamble,” Huoseh said of the Davies family. “And Alphonso does not do anything with betting or gambling sites whatsoever. As well, nothing with alcohol and cannabis.”

Huoseh said he wants to “go after” the people who created the fake ad, but he said AI-created images are becoming a real issue.

“It’s a big problem we have to deal with,” said Huoseh. “The problem with AI is that there are no regulations in place.”

As an internationally recognized pro athlete, Davies can’t have anyone close to him tied to gambling winnings. As well, this AI ad is, to put it bluntly, racist with a capital R.

Alberta laws on gambling ads forbid celebrity athletes from promoting casinos or sportsbooks. An athlete can only appear in ads that emphasize responsible gambling or gaming controls, such as Connor McDavid’s “mullet over” campaign with BetMGM. The Oilers’ captain encourages sober second thought before placing sports bets. As the supporting actor in the ad thinks over his bets, his mullet grows.

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Q&A: CEO of the Alberta iGaming Corporation discusses province’s regulated online gaming strategy

On July 13, Alberta became the second Canadian province to launch a regulated iGaming market. As of today, there are 31 registered online gambling sites that are paying 20 per cent of their revenue to the province. Oxibet is not on that list.

Dale Nally, Alberta’s minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction, has maintained that the government’s main motivation to create the iGaming marketplace is to ensure Albertans have access to a transparent, accountable system. Before the launch of the market, he estimated that Play Alberta, which had been the only legal site in the province, only took in 30 per cent of the money people in this province spent on online casinos and sportsbooks. The majority of money went to offshore sites that allowed Canadians to submit their credit card information and play. These offshore sites are located in gambling havens such as Malta, Comoros, Curaçao and the British Virgin Islands.

As the legal market has mushroomed, the unregulated offshore platforms have also stepped up their ad games. Gravira, a site based in Curaçao, has launched a series of attack ads on Bet365, which is legal to operate in Alberta. Another Curaçao site called Lucky Falls is touting it pays out quicker than legal sites and offers more bonuses to new players.

But Oxibet has taken it to a new level with the Davies campaign.

Nally is aware of these new ads. The province can’t turn off the internet, so he beseeched Albertans to take care and make sure to look for the Alberta iGaming Corporation logo. It needs to be displayed prominently on legal sites and on all advertising.

“These are predatory, illegal gambling sites that are trying to take advantage of Albertans,” said Nally. “They play by no rules, offer no protections and should be avoided at all costs.

“Albertans who choose to gamble should go to the AIGC website to see what operators are approved in our market. That way, Albertans can have confidence in knowing that the sites they are using are accountable, responsible and will actually pay you out.”

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