Malware Scandal hits Gambling Federation

With the week coming to a close, a major scandal started hitting the headlines after players discovered a trojan virus in proprietary gambling software downloaded from a number of Gambling Federation online casinos.

The trojan was discovered after players found that they were unable to access certain other gambling sites once they had played on GF casinos....and there are many GF-powered casinos.

IT specialists then found that the installation process from G-FED casinos modifies 7 files,one called "hosts" located at C:windowssystem32driversetchosts. The file had been altered by the addition of malware that short circuited any subsequent attempt to visit specific online casinos such as Royal Dutch Casino, The Blackjack Table and Casinoxo. Other operations may also be suffering loss of business as a result.
Once the malware has been identified and removed, access to the affected sites is returned.

Indignant players pointed out that the covert insertion of this sort of material on their computers was a gross invasion of privacy, and the potential damage to business at the targeted sites can only be imagined.

There is potential for major embarrassment, too. The Canada-based GF CEO Flaviano Fogli is a board member of the Interactive Gaming Council, a trade association for online gaming operators and he has recently taken his group into the iGGBA, too. Both organisations will look askance at any suggestion of software irregularities.
Late yesterday, a luckless Gambling Federation PR person appeared on the message boards with an astonishing, and highly unlikely explanation - GF had knowingly included the trojan in their software download as an "anti-spam measure."
IT specialists in the gaming community immediately debunked and ridiculed the excuse, which was accompanied by an apology and an assurance that the trojan would be removed from the GF download immediately.

In one of the most bizarre incidents yet involving an industry company, this incident would appear to still have a way to run, and the consequences of Gambling Federation's covert trojan blunder are likely to be serious.

Related Links:
http://www.casinomeister.com/rogue/gamblingfederation.html
http://www.casinomeister.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7345&page=1&pp=10
http://mb.winneronline.com/showthread.html?t=18871
http://www.gamblingfederation.com/~145137vzA/P/