The Thai sports news outlet Khob Sanam has accused a criminal network of using its name and logo to promote illegal gambling.
Khob Sanam said it is currently preparing to pursue legal action under Thailand’s Computer Crime Act against the network for using a likeness to its name, logo, symbols, font, colours and commercial image, which may ‘mislead the public without permission’.
A statement from the outlet read: “Khobsanam Co., Ltd. would like to reiterate and publicly declare its position that the company operates as a sports media outlet, content creator, and premium sports community in accordance with the law. The organisation has no policy, is not involved in, or supports online gambling in any form.”
According to Khob Sanam’s parent company, Nation Group, the sports news site has more than 14 million followers across its platform and product lines.
The outlet warned its readers to be cautious and not to provide personal information, transfer money or download any applications claiming to represent Khob Sanam.
It described the alleged misuse as intellectual property infringement, trademark counterfeiting and a deliberate attempt to damage the image of the news platform.
“Such actions have caused serious damage to the company’s reputation and are intentionally designed to create public confusion,” Khob Sanam’s management team added.
Weaponising recognisable brands
Khob Sanam’s issues in Thailand chime with data provided to iGaming Expert by the brand protection company Corsearch, which reported that over half of its enforcement actions undertaken for 12 major online betting and gaming operators related to trademark infringement.
The company raised particular concerns around the World Cup, noting that betting-related phishing scams rose by over 118% month-on-month during last year’s sporting summer, as illegal betting platforms weaponise regulated brands to ‘funnel users into the black market’.
Simon Baggs, Executive Chairman of Brand & Content Protection at Corsearch, said: “The 118% spike we saw last year shows how quickly fraudsters exploit major sporting moments to impersonate trusted betting brands to mislead consumers.”
