Illegal Gambling Ads Hijack Scottish Borders Council Website Through Defunct Directory
TL;DR — Scottish Borders Council website showed illegal gambling ads on 16 of 69 community pages via a hijacked defunct directory, per BBC reporting. The council removed them promptly and urged updates elsewhere. Similar attacks hit Old Catton Parish Council in June and IBIA in 2024.
SCCG Take — Legacy web systems create vectors for illegal operators to gain apparent legitimacy. Regular audits of third-party directories are now essential for public entities.
Illegal gambling ads from black market operators appeared on the Scottish Borders Council website due to an outdated backlog system, as reported by SBC News.
The local authority acted swiftly to correct the issue after the BBC flagged the display of offshore gambling websites. This affected 16 of the council’s 69 community council webpage listings.
Fifteen of the 16 affected pages had been built and hosted by the now-defunct website directory Online Borders. That directory was later hijacked to display links to illegal gambling sites. The links remained visible until the BBC notification prompted their removal. The council subsequently asked other local authorities to verify that their pages are up to date.
A cyber security expert consulted by the BBC noted that hijacking specific domains often targets certain groups. Here, it likely aimed at the local community, presenting illegal sites as if recommended from within it.
Precedent in Local Councils
This is not the first such case. Earlier in June, Old Catton Parish Council was a victim of a similar act, unknowingly displaying an ad for an Indonesian online slots casino.
Gambling Sector Vulnerabilities
The gambling sector as a whole is far from immune. In 2024, the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) had its website taken over to promote an illegal online slots firm based in Southeast Asia. The message, written in Indonesian, appeared to come from an email inbox promoting Gacor 2023 and inviting users to deposit real money, including through a credit card. IBIA acted quickly after notification.
Reporting: SBC News
Generated by SCCG’s automated editorial system from published source reporting. SCCG Management holds editorial responsibility.
Outdated third-party directories are now attack vectors giving black-market operators the false appearance of institutional legitimacy.
We've seen compliance nightmares born from reputational association, not intent. When illegal operators hijack legacy infrastructure tied to public entities or legitimate brands, it muddies trust and complicates regulatory standing. Across 545 partners in every regulated market, SCCG knows brand integrity is currency—and exploited legacy tech burns it fast.
- 16 of 69 community pages showed illegal gambling links via hijacked defunct Online Borders directory
- Old Catton Parish Council and IBIA hit by similar attacks in 2024, targeting local trust
- Council removed ads immediately; experts warn legacy third-party systems are soft targets
SCCG angle: SCCG audits digital footprints and third-party integrations for operators and platforms entering or scaling in regulated markets. We connect clients to vetted cybersecurity and compliance partners who close these gaps before regulators or bad actors find them—because reputation doesn't rebuild easily.
Gaming, betting and prediction markets — the desk’s read, every weekday.
Subscribe →