Cybersecurity company Bitdefender has reported findings from Bitdefender Labs indicating that the Early Access feature in the Google Play Store is being exploited to host applications that mimic casino games and use the names of real iGaming products.
According to Bitdefender, these applications are harder to identify as Google disables public ratings and reviews for Early Access features.
Among the most exploited titles are the crash game Chicken Road from InOut Games and the live show Ice Fishing from Evolution. The primary promotion channel for these apps is advertising on TikTok, Facebook, and other social media platforms, often utilizing deepfakes of well-known personalities, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Jason Statham, and Andrew Tate, some of whom directly lead to iGaming products.
Bitdefender states that these applications disguise themselves as casual games with rewards and puzzles, thus evading licensing requirements, geo-blocking, and age verification.