Celebrities worldwide are increasingly falling victim to exploitation by online gambling platforms, which employ AI-generated and edited content to create deceptive marketing campaigns. These ‘deep fake’ advertisements, designed to mimic the likeness and voices of prominent stars, are often difficult to detect by the untrained eye.

A recent investigation by uncovered several cases involving Filipino celebrities such as Anne Curtis, Belle Mariano, Catriona Gray, and Korean actor Park Seo-joon. 

These stars were unknowingly featured in promotional advertisements on social media, many of which were managed by administrators based in Malaysia.

Filipino celebrities fall prey to Malaysian operators 

Anne Curtis was a notable target in this deceptive scheme. A fabricated video posted on Facebook falsely claimed she endorsed the PesoBET app, a gambling platform marketed as the Philippines’ top online casino. 

The video, which appeared to use her voice, garnered 5,900 views but was entirely unauthorised. Curtis herself made no official posts about the app, which is not licensed by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).

Similarly, actress Belle Mariano’s image was manipulated in another misleading advertisement. The fake video showed her enthusiastically joining the “PesoBet family” and promoting the platform. 

However, a reverse image search revealed that the video was taken from Preview’s coverage of Mariano’s preparation for the 2023 ABS-CBN Ball, highlighting how genuine content was altered for fraudulent use.

Issue extends beyond Asia 

The issue extends far beyond the Philippines. In Hollywood, actor Brad Pitt was once the target of a fabricated endorsement involving a cryptocurrency and online gambling platform. His image and voice were manipulated in a video that claimed he supported the site. 

Fans quickly questioned the authenticity of the ad, and it was confirmed that Pitt had no association with the platform. Similarly, in India, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan was similarly exploited in fake advertisements for betting sites, particularly during high-profile events such as the IPL. 

These ads portrayed him as endorsing gambling platforms, sparking confusion and outrage among his fanbase. It was later confirmed that these claims were entirely baseless.

Through these deceptive practices, fraudulent gambling platforms and applications have amassed significant profits. The global gambling industry’s growth underscores the scale of such schemes. 

In 2023, the online gambling market in the United States was valued at approximately €93 billion and is projected to grow at a compound annual rate of 12.3 percent until 2030. In the Philippines, gross gaming revenue surged by 19.2 percent year-on-year, reaching €3.23 billion in the first half of 2024.

Is unregulated gambling the culprit? 

While these figures highlight the lucrative nature of the gambling industry, pinpointing the exact share of earnings derived from fraudulent campaigns remains challenging due to the covert nature of these operations and the lack of transparent reporting.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has voiced concerns over the rapid normalisation of gambling, attributing this trend to increasing commercialisation and digitisation. As more nations move towards legalising online betting and gambling, the necessity for robust regulation becomes evident.

Experts caution that without stringent oversight, the online gambling sector will remain fertile ground for the exploitation of celebrities and the proliferation of deceptive marketing practices. 

Authorities worldwide must act decisively to address these unethical strategies, safeguarding the reputation of public figures and protecting audiences from falling prey to misleading campaigns.

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