Scottish council website carried links to offshore casino sites
Sixteen links to community council websites took users to gambling sites which by-pass UK gambling rules.
By BBC News
Scottish Borders Council has removed 16 website links after they were found to redirect users to offshore casino sites that bypass UK gambling rules.
BBC Scotland News found the affected links on the council’s directory of 69 community councils across the region. The council took the links down after being alerted to the issue, but did not respond to a request for comment.
Fifteen of the links were tied to sites built and run on a former third-sector directory called Online Borders. BBC Scotland News said those links now funnel users to the same portal showing “top noGamstop casinos”. The remaining affected link, for Chirnside Community Council, was reported to send users to an Indonesian site called Joyslot88.
The community councils named in the report were Chirnside, Duns, Gordon & Westruther, Hutton & Paxton, Ancrum, Crailing, Eckford & Nisbet, Heiton & Roxburgh, Lanton, Oxnam Water, Sprouston, Bowden, Newton & Eildon, Hobkirk, Southdean, Upper Liddesdale & Hermitage, and Carlops.
The links were still present on the Scottish Borders Council website until officials were alerted to the problem earlier this month.