Why it’s difficult for players to identify fake games

Key Highlights

In this blog post we cover the following topics:

• Jack and Duncan on Gamecheck Insider
• Why its difficult to identify fake games
• How Gamecheck helps players avoid fake games
• How to Gamecheck before you play

“Think you can spot a fake online casino game? Think again.”

According to BetBlocker’s Duncan Garvie it's not that easy.

In our second Gamecheck Insider podcast to go live, our Head of Sales & Partnerships Jack Crabtree sits down with Duncan Garvie FRSPH, founder of BetBlocker, to confront a hard truth: players cannot realistically be expected to identify fake online casino games on their own.

It is a conversation every online casino player needs to hear. Because the lines between real and fake games are now so blurred that appearances alone are not an answer. Sounds, visuals, even branding - these can all be copied. What cannot be copied is how an online casino game behaves over time. And this is where tools like Gamecheck become essential for fair play.

Fake games do not look fake. The old advice “just look for the brand logo” does not work anymore. It used to be easy. If a game had the right logo and looked familiar, you could trust it, right? Not anymore. Today’s rogue operators replicate the look and feel of genuine online casino sites and games with astonishing accuracy.

But these fake games:

• May never pay out properly, no matter how they look
• Might crash or skip spins when you are about to win
• Often run with odds stacked unfairly against you.

Players lose money and faith in the industry. Operators lose players and business.

Game providers lose copyright control over their own games.

And trust in the online casino space erodes.

A conversation that matters: Jack and Duncan on 'Gamecheck Insider'

With extensive experience in player advocacy, responsible gambling, and dispute resolution, Duncan Garvie brings a unique perspective on the risks players face when unknowingly engaging with fake games. He sheds light on how these fake games are designed, the challenges involved in detecting and removing them, and the wider impact they have on trust and fairness within the industry.

In this second episode of the Gamecheck Insider podcast, our host Jack Crabtree, Gamecheck’s Head of Sales and Partnerships, sits down with Duncan, Head of ADR Services at Blexr and founder of BetBlocker, to discuss his career in iGaming and the moment he first recognised the growing threat of fake online casino games. Duncan shares his insights on what real, effective solutions could look like, from industry-wide collaboration to improved education and player protection tools, and explains why working together is crucial to safeguarding players.

It is an honest conversation between two industry voices committed to protecting players and promoting fair play in the online casino gaming industry.

Over time, fake games have become so sophisticated it is very difficult to identify them, and distinguish between real and fake games. This is why Gamecheck exists: to identify fake games and help players check if an online casino is offering real or fake games before they play, supporting fair play and informed decisions without relying on guesswork.

With fake games looking exactly like the real thing, the only reliable difference is how they behave and the outcome of the games. We cannot reveal the specific signs of fake games because the scammers would immediately adapt their methods.

How Gamecheck helps players avoid fake games

What Gamecheck does is check a selection of games on an online casino in collaboration with the original game providers, who are in the right position to confirm whether the games are real or fake games. Our checks are ongoing, randomised, and evidence-based, designed to catch fakes wherever they hide, not just during one-time audits.

Checking an online casino is about player protection and empowerment.

When players use Gamecheck, they can:

• Check if an online casino is operating real games
• See if a site has been flagged for fake games
• Avoid sites that could scam you with fake games
• Help protect other players by reporting suspicious sites
• Submit a casino for checking if it looks suspicious.

Why Gamecheck exists

Gamecheck was created to protect players from this growing threat. We help players check if an online casino game is real before they play, supporting informed decisions and fair play without relying on guesswork.

Gamecheck checks a selection of games on an online casino, working with original game providers, who are in the best position to confirm whether games are real or fake.

Our checks are ongoing, randomised, and evidence-based, designed to catch fakes wherever they hide, not just during one-time audits.

Why this matters for your play

You play to win. But to have a fair chance, the game must be real. Fake games do not just steal your money. They steal your fair chance to play. You deserve to know you are getting a fair chance when you play.

When fake games look exactly like the real thing, the only reliable difference is how they behave and the outcomes they deliver.

Using Gamecheck before you play means you can:

✅ Check if the site you are about to play on has real games

✅ Avoid sites that could scam you with fake games

✅ Help protect other players by reporting suspicious sites

What the Gamecheck SEAL means

The Gamecheck SEAL isn’t just a logo. It shows that a random selection of games on the casino has been checked and confirmed as real by the original game providers, with checks repeated monthly. This isn’t a one-time audit – it’s ongoing and transparent.

How to Gamecheck before you play

Here is how you can protect your play easily:

1. Use the Gamecheck platform: Paste the online casino URL in our search portal to see if it has been checked and if fake games were found.
2. Get the free Gamecheck Chrome Extension : 'Add to Chrome' and check online casino sites while browsing without leaving the page you are on.
3. Download the Gamecheck App for free from the Apple Store and Google Play.
4. Check the Gamecheck SEAL: If you see the Gamecheck SEAL on an online casino it means we have checked the site and real games were found at the time of inspection.
5. Scan the Gamecheck SEAL with the app to confirm it is the real deal.
6. Report suspicious sites: If an online casino is not listed, you can request verification.
7. Help the online gaming community by flagging online casinos and games that do not feel right.

Fake games exist. Gamecheck helps you avoid them

Fake games are not just a technical problem – they are a fairness problem. You deserve to know that the games you are playing give you a real, fair chance, and have not been created for the sole purpose of stealing your money and data.

Gamecheck is here to protect you from fake games with a series of new, free, and innovative tools designed to help online casino players avoid fake games.

As Jack and Duncan discuss in the podcast, players should not have to guess whether a game is real or fake. They should have tools that put the facts and fair play in their hands.

Watch the podcast clip on YouTube and subscribe to our channel

In this clip, Jack and Duncan go into:

✅ Why most players cannot spot a fake game by visuals alone

✅ How fake games sometimes lower RTP to 0%

✅ The impact of fake games on players’ trust and funds

✅ The need for player protection tools like Gamecheck and BetBlocker

✅ How platforms that care about integrity will lead the industry forward.

🎥 Watch the full Gamecheck Insider clip with Jack Crabtree and Duncan Garvie:

Ready to protect your play?

✅ Visit the Gamecheck Website

✅ Get the Gamecheck Chrome Extension

✅ Download the Gamecheck App

✅ Scan the Gamecheck SEAL

✅ Subscribe to Gamecheck UK

✅ Follow the Gamecheck Insider podcast for more insider information about fair play.

✅ Follow our blog to learn how to use Gamecheck’s free tools to protect yourself from fake games.