Pirate copies of original casino games from well known providers

Pirated or pirated games are an important topic in the online casino world. The following can help you learn a great deal about the situation, the dangers, advantages, and prospects.

Pirate copies are unauthorized versions of popular games from established providers. These copies are cheaper than the originals, allowing operators to attract more players at a lower cost, thereby optimizing their financial profit. This has always been the case and continues to be so!

Small IT companies, often with just a few programmers and designers, copy games from leading manufacturers like Betsoft, NetEnt, Microgaming, and IGtech, and offer them to operators worldwide for a fee.

Pirate game makers have learned to copy games so well that even experienced players have trouble telling the difference between the original and the fake. However, design is not the only thing pirate game makers can create. As the operator desired, players lose money faster because of the change in the RTP.

The height of gambling piracy

The boom in pirate copies occurred at a time when gambling was banned by the state in some countries. This ban created a real treasure trove for counterfeiters, as gambling halls disguised as internet cafes opened in many cities, where everyone could play well-known games.

A self-made payment system supplemented the accounts. This legal agent structure was set up to receive funds for offshore companies. Accordingly, by spending money on the device, the players legally replenished the payment system’s account and withdrew the money after the official payout.

How the ban on gambling influenced piracy!

The use of copies remains relevant even with internet gambling regulation in many countries. The difference was that many websites only used pirated copies before the ban. In the past ten years, pirated and legal games have been found on the same website. It has come to the point where large gaming companies with official licenses in local markets have been using illegal gaming content for many years and have never stopped.

Is it possible to do without copies?

Yes, it is possible to do without copies, although two things are needed. Players need to learn how to distinguish original gambling content from fakes, and there needs to be legal prosecution of counterfeit manufacturers. This means that those who create and distribute pirated games should be held accountable by law.

Pirate games features

There are three main features that help distinguish an original from its copy:

The game is not downloaded from the manufacturer’s server. Each manufacturer must have its own server from which it can download games.

There is no unified system of jackpots (however, this indicator is unreliable since manufacturers often do not provide their jackpots to all operators and geographic markets).
Companies that produce original gaming software often publish a list of casinos with which they work. Any player can contact the manufacturer’s information service to verify if a specific casino is their client.

Legal prosecution of pirate software manufacturers

Fake online games are frequently found on websites without transparent information about licenses, ownership, or management. This lack of clarity makes it difficult to identify the owners of these companies.

Attempts by Novomatic and NetEnt

Not least because of this, companies like Novomatic and NetEnt have not made any serious attempts to hold the companies using copied software accountable over the years. This led to the operators hiding less actively and pirated software appeared even on websites whose owners and managers are known. The websites have expensive gambling licences allowing them to operate legally in international and local markets.

Pirate cases – Novomatic vs. pirates

In 2006, gaming provider Novomatic launched a campaign against intellectual property piracy. The essence of this fight was to register industrial property rights in the form of trademarks, patents, and registered designs for the subsequent enforcement of claims.

Pirate copies from Pragmatic Play and Yggdrasil

In August 2017, another case involving famous gaming providers occurred. It started when players on the Hera Casino forum reported that games were not working correctly. This led to the investigation and proof that the operator was using the pirated ‘Dragon Kingdom’ game from Pragmatic Play and ‘Super Heroes’ from Yggdrasil. The operator also provided false information about its licence.

In the face of such fraudulent activity, not only the providers of original content but also players suffer economic losses. They do not receive an adequate gaming experience because graphics, payouts, and bonuses do not meet their expectations. Operators risk their business and reputation by offering copied games to attract more players.