Spades
"Spades" is a family of fake casinos that use false endorsements from celebrities and the allure of a thousand-dollar "free gift" to encourage victims to place a $100 deposit. Spades uses many skins and operates hundreds of domains. Victims are primarily targeted via Discord and Facebook, where faked pictures of social media websites include falsified endorsements.
A sample of images sent to solicit a potential victim. Note the premise of receiving a free gift to celebrate the "launch" of the casino. The post is supposedly deleted an hour after posting to explain its' nonexistence when users attempt to find the original post.
Third Party Analysis
Indicative Features
False or Dubious Endorsements
All instances analyzed to date contain false or dubious endorsements clearly on display. Targeted celebrities include Elon Musk, 50 Cent, Donald Trump, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Kanye West, Selena Gomez, and Keanu Reeves (this is not a complete list).
Founded Before Domain Registration
All instances analyzed to date claim to be founded in 2017 (when the threat actor group was established), but does not match the date the domain was registered.
A sample instance utilizing a marketing splash page. This particular domain was registered in February 2025. Note the claim of 51 million players and $32 billion in payouts, as well as official partnership claims.
Another sample instance using the same layout, but filled with endorsements from Donald Trump. Note the similarities in layout and dubious claims— including the players and payout figures.
A sample instance containing a false endorsement by celebrity 50 Cent. This variant does not have a marketing page, and instead directs users to register immediately. This variant appears to be the most common.
A sample instance containing a false endorsement by Elon Musk. Note the continuity in layout compared to other samples, with only minor thematic tweaks.
A sample instance containing a false endorsement by the German football team SV Werder Bremen. Again, layout continuity with only minor thematic changes.
A sample instance containing a false endorsement by Donald Trump. While Donald Trump is known for using cryptocurrency to scam his followers, he did not endorse this website.
A sample instance containing a false endorsement by both Donald Trump and his wife, Melania Trump.