What happened

Investigate Europe, The Guardian and partners tested seven top chatbots across 10 European countries and found repeated recommendations for unlicensed gambling sites, offshore operators, and methods to bypass protections such as Gamstop in the UK and Oasis in Germany. 

In three quarters of replies, chatbots recommended gambling sites not licensed in Europe, describing them as "secure and fast," "perfect for competitive players," or "great for novice gamblers." Casinos without national licences do not offer the same consumer protections as legal operators, and can expose players to scams and fraud 

The outputs also praised some illicit casinos as “secure and fast” or suitable for privacy-seeking users, potentially nudging people toward platforms that lack the safeguards of licensed operators.

Why it happened

The investigation suggests the models were surfacing high-ranking or widely available web content without adequate guardrails for a high-risk sector, so the systems could amplify marketing for illegal operators rather than steer users to safer, licensed alternatives.

This points to transparency and accountability gaps in how chatbot providers control recommendations, especially when the advice can lead directly to financial losses and psychological damage.