Swedish company’s games featured in illegal online casinos – Radio Sweden

At a press conference in Thailand, police are counting cash amounting to the equivalent of SEK 34 million. Some of the money is suspected to have been obtained by a criminal network, after defrauding elderly Thai people in cryptocurrency scams.

The police found the money in late 2023, after a raid on two illegal online casino sites.

The people behind the sites are suspected of illegal gambling activities, fraud and money laundering.

”From our investigation into websites offering illegal gambling, we found that Evolution is one of the products featured,” says Sarayu Klinhorm, deputy superintendent at the Thai police’s Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau.

Evolution games such as roulette, baccarat and black jack are available on online casinos around the world.

The company has been called a profit machine and much of its growth comes from Asia.

In recent years there have been several warnings of online casinos in the region being used by organised crime for money laundering, or that they are run by groups who are also involved in fraud, money laundering and even human trafficking.

Most countries in East and Southeast Asia have outlawed gambling.

However, a Swedish Radio News investigation shows that a number of online casinos, that have been deemed illegal by authorities, have featured games from Swedish supplier Evolution. Among these sites are some fifty in Cambodia.

Evolution games have also been featured on a casino site in the Philippines, where casinos are legal, but where authorities last autumn pulled the licence for the company behind the site, since it was suspected of cryptocurrency fraud.

Experts that Swedish Radio News has spoken to are critical of game suppliers like Evolution — not because they are suspected of money laundering or fraud, but because these suppliers, through being on these sites, risk assisting the criminal organisations behind the sites, the experts say.

Commenting on the Swedish company, Sarayu Klinhorm at the Thai Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau says:

”They should take more responsibilty for their products, and not allow their games to be offered in Thailand, where gambling is illegal.”

Swedish Radio News has asked Evolution for an interview, which the company declined.

They do give a comment through email, stating that none of the sites mentioned by Swedish Radio News are customers of Evolution, or of its customers.

They also write that they check their customers, and their customers’ customers, but that their supply chain can be a long one.

Evolution did not want to answer any of Swedish Radio News’ follow-up questions.

Axel Kronholm
axel.kronholm@sverigesradio.se

Sven Carlsson
sven.carlsson@sverigesradio.se

Radio Sweden
english@sverigesradio.se