Deepfake Alphonso Davies Gambling Ad Highlights Alberta’s Underground iGaming Fight

A deepfake gambling advertisement claiming the father of Canadian soccer star Alphonso Davies was arrested over CA$3 million in purported online casino winnings is shining a spotlight on grey-market enforcement in Alberta’s newly regulated iGaming market.

According to reporting by The Edmonton Sun, an advertiser operating under the name “Prime Spin Zone” placed an ad on Instagram showing Davies’ father being arrested by Edmonton police.

The video shows a vault filled with cash, followed by a scene where Davies’ father is released after police allegedly determine the money came from legitimate gambling, the ad claims.

Fake Ad Targets Davies

The AI-generated image of Davies’ father then urges viewers to visit the same online casino he used. Users who click the ad are redirected to Oxibet, an offshore gambling platform based in Comoros.

The Sun quoted Davies’ agent, who called the advertisement “lies” and confirmed that the soccer star has no ties to any gambling sites.

A fraudulent ad directing consumers to an unlicensed offshore operator highlights the exact issue Alberta sought to address by adopting an Ontario-style regulated iGaming model.

Users Directed to Illegal Site

Dale Nally, Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction, has repeatedly emphasized that the primary objective of launching the province’s regulated market on July 13 was to offer consumers safe alternatives to illicit offshore sites operating out of jurisdictions like Malta and Curaçao.

“Standing still was not the responsible choice,” Nally said when the market launched. “Albertans were already gambling. What we’re putting in place is a regulated market that will put player safety and player responsibility first.”

“At the end of the day, this is not about revenue. This is about channelization,” Nally added. “How much of that black market can we channelize into the legal, regulated market?”

Channelization Drives Regulatory Push

According to Nally, approximately 70% of online gambling in Alberta occurred through unregulated operators prior to the July 13 launch, with the remaining 30% flowing through Play Alberta, the province’s sole legal platform at the time.

As of Sept. 17, 31 licensed iGaming operators are officially live and accepting wagers across the province.

Oxibet is not among the licensed entities. Furthermore, Alberta’s regulatory standards strictly prohibit active commercial athletes like Davies from appearing in gambling advertisements, with narrow exceptions reserved exclusively for responsible gambling public service announcements.