Play'n GO In Hot Water As Its Slots Games Are Found On Black Market Sites

Play'n Go, a prominent provider in the casino game development space, is facing backlash after some of its most popular games were found on sites that lack licenses in markets like the Netherlands and Germany. Some consider this to be at odds with the company's stance on regulatory compliance. Now, with these games appearing on these platforms, questions have been raised regarding how it distributes games, its policies, and whether it can effectively maintain oversight working through third-party sellers and aggregators.

A Firm Pubic Position in the Past

As recent as May 2025, Play'n GO CEO John Törnqvist declared Play'n GO wouldn't provide games to sweepstakes casinos, saying that they operate outside the regulated gaming frameworks.

The Head of Government Affairs, Shawn Fluharty, echoed this and mentioned the long-term risks that any company could incur by getting involved with unregulated operators.

“Anyone doing business with sweepstakes casinos today will find it very difficult to do business in a future regulated market,” Fluharty said.

Now, with the games becoming available at sites with lackluster licensing, some may argue that something isn't right here.

Games Discovered on Unlicensed Platforms

Following Törnqvist and Fluharty's comments, games like Book of Dead, Mission Cash, and Pilgrim of Dead have been found on platforms like FoxyGold.com and Goldspin, which are licensed by Curaçao. These platforms both operate in Germany and the Netherlands despite holding proper licenses.

According to Compliance + More, Foxy Gold is run by a Costa Rican-based outlet, EOD Code. EOD Code also owns some black market and crypto-based casinos. C+M found various sites like CoinKings and WSM Casino. These also advertise themselves as offering Play'n GO games.

In response to this, Fluharty acknowledged slot games on these platforms, attributing it to minimal traffic and potential VPN usage. Fluharty also mentioned that these sites might be clients of large resellers, and regulators should be notified and take necessary steps if any violations are found.

“If there is suspicion that they are also providing games to regulated jurisdictions without the proper legal licenses in place, then the relevant regulators should be notified so they may take appropriate action,” Fluharty said.

A Problem in the Industry?

This situation could provide evidence of a larger problem in the industry, where developers rely on third-party resellers.

Play'n GO has asserted its commitment to regulated markets, but with their games popping up elsewhere, perhaps there are issues with distribution and enforcing compliance globally.

This snafu comes after Evolution, a prominent live dealer casino developer, was investigated by the UK Gambling Commission after its games were found on black market sites that were offering play to UK players. Now, Evolution has isolated its operations to strictly regulated territories.

From here, we'll see what steps Play'n GO makes to act on this, either way, whether they stand by their original stance or not. While Törnqvist spoke out against sweepstakes casino games, there's a bit more ambiguity in that space as opposed to casinos providing play to players in areas that are tightly regulate,d that offer no recourse and don't need to provide transparency or oversight. Should these games end up on a platform like that and there are financially damaging situations with players, it could reflect poorly on Play'n GO.