Tesco has alerted City of London Police after discovering that its name and imagery were being used in advertising posts linked to unlicensed casinos on Facebook and Instagram. The supermarket joins a list of household names whose brands or likenesses have been appropriated in similar adverts, alongside banks and high-profile athletes, in an apparent attempt to lend credibility to operators that are not licensed to offer gambling in Britain.
Those responsible appear to have favoured endorsement-style creative that mimics celebrity or corporate backing, a technique that can boost click-through and sign-up rates when placed on major social media platforms. The campaigns have used brand recognition to attract potential punters, showing how digital advertising placements can be exploited to market services that fall outside UK regulatory permissions.
The pattern of misuse extends beyond supermarkets: major firms and sports figures have been named in earlier cases where adverts sought to imply a relationship that does not exist. Companies and individuals reported in previous incidents include Barclays and Lewis Hamilton, and sports stars such as Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland. The recurrence of these tactics highlights practical challenges for brands, platforms and enforcement bodies in detecting and removing unauthorised promotional material that can cross jurisdictions rapidly.
By alerting the police, Tesco has joined other organisations taking formal steps after identifying suspected scams that exploit trusted names. The episode adds to a growing record of businesses notifying authorities over unauthorised adverts and underscores the complexity of managing brand safety and regulatory compliance within the online advertising ecosystem. Platforms, brands and regulators continue to face the task of limiting harmful or misleading advertising while responding to reports of misuse.
