Gambling site promoted by Irish tipster uses ‘fraudulent licence’, says overseas central bank
A gambling website promoted by a high-profile Irish tipster is operating under a “fraudulent license”, the central bank of Comoros has said. Rob Heneghan, who runs Pro Sports Advice, deleted all Telegram posts promoting Gambana, a Belize-registered gambling website that claims to be registered and regulated in the African island of Anjouan, which is part of the Comoros Islands. Heneghan deleted posts promoting Gambana after receiving queries from The Irish Times about posts that included one recommending his followers lodge $1,000 (€857) with Gambana “for good risk management”. In a statement, Ait-Ahmed Djalim, secretary general of the Comoros central bank’s financial intelligence unit, said Gambana’s licence was “fraudulent”. READ MORELiath review: A mesmerising two-Michelin-star experience from a spectacular chefKaroline Leavitt usually retaliates first, but a tough question made her pause AI revolution to have severe effect on Irish economy with top-end job losses, report warns Fuel protests: Gardaí advise protesters to ‘immediately cease’; latest on traffic disruption in Dublin and countrywide “We inform you that the Anjouan offshore financial authority is not recognised in the Union of the Comoros. This entity issues licences illegally,” he said. “Furthermore, Gambana operates with a fraudulent licence. Gambling activities are not authorised in the Union of the Comoros. The central bank of the Comoros is the only competent authority authorised to issue licences, permits, or approvals for banking and financial activities under the laws and regulations in force in the Union of the Comoros.“Moreover, the island of Anjouan does not have its own laws. Only the laws of the Union of the Comoros are recognised.”Anjouan briefly declared independence from the Comoros in the late 1990s, but has since rejoined. In the last two years, there has been a wave of black-market gambling sites claiming to be registered by an Anjouan gambling regulator formed during the island’s break from the Comoros union. Gambana has been promoted by several influencers in Ireland and Britain, with Heneghan, who claims to be the world’s most followed racing pundit, among the most prominent. Researchers and regulators warn that such unregulated gambling sites offer punters no protection to cover the money deposited. Posts from a Pro Sports Advice Telegram account, with more than 60,000 followers, in January and February recommended that followers use Gambana for betting on Premier League games such as Aston Villa vs Everton and West Ham vs Manchester United and linked to the Gambana site. Heneghan also sent a message to followers encouraging them to deposit $1,000 with Gambana for “good risk management” and so they could avail of a deposit bonus. He has not answered questions to clarify if he had a commercial relationship with Gambana. Five years ago, Heneghan told his Telegram followers that they should “run ... and never look back!” if a tipster ever shared a link to sign up for a bookmaker or a special offer.The June 22nd, 2021 post said: “Just to clarify, I’m not affiliated in any way with any bookmaker or bookies, if you see another ‘tipster’ sharing a link to sign up to a bookmaker or special offer, etc RUN ... and never look back!”Pro Sports Advice charges between €19 to €149 a month for Heneghan’s tipping services, but customers can also pay €3,999 for a “platinum lifetime” membership.Heneghan, who has more than one million followers across TikTok and Instagram, posted videos of him placing large cash bets at Cheltenham with darts players Luke Littler and Luke Humphries in March. Those videos have generated millions of views on social media in recent weeks. Heneghan’s solicitor has previously issued responses to questions about his promotion of Gambana. The response said Pro Sports Advice provides betting opinions and analysis to members, which was “similar to the services provided by the Racing Post”. “Pro Sports Advice does not operate any betting platform, does not accept bets and does not handle any client funds. Subscribers are free to use the information posted however they wish,” he said. Gambana did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
