While WhatsApp is the leading messaging app, used worldwide for secure communication between people, this may soon change after the company announced significant changes to its Privacy Policy. In 2021, WhatsApp informed its users that, under its updated Privacy Policy, it can share information with Meta, which is WhatsApp’s parent company.
With many people disappointed by the company’s decision, a large number of users have switched to Telegram. Although Telegram was launched in 2013, it was not until 2021 that it began to gain popularity. Some of the features that make Telegram a strong contender for the top spot among messaging apps include end-to-end encryption, the ability to share media files with no size restrictions, and the option to join group chats with a capacity of up to 200,000 individuals.
As Telegram quickly started to gain popularity, it also introduced a brand-new platform for online gambling. Rather than presenting players with gambling websites or social games, Telegram allows its users to access various casino games available in the app. Thanks to its bot system, players can enjoy every aspect of a virtual casino by signing in to their gaming profiles using their Telegram accounts.
And while many find Telegram casinos intriguing and fun, jurisdictions such as the UK are still not on board with licensing this form of virtual gambling. Although Telegram is currently one of the most popular messaging apps, it is also widely used by organised crime groups and terrorist organisations.
Online Gambling Through Telegram Bots
Third-party developers make use of Telegram’s bot functionality, creating their own bots. Simply put, bots represent either channels or accounts that run on AI platforms, meaning no real humans are involved in the operation of these accounts or channels.
Telegram bots are advanced enough to carry out various actions such as chatting, performing searches, or playing games in the app. Users can share bots via links that can then be used by other Telegram members to open the chats. Even when a user shares a message from another chat, it will contain the name of the chat from which it was shared. In this way, bots can be spread among users even without using a link.
Even though bots can also represent chats, they differ from typical Telegram conversations between humans. Bots respond only when they are prompted by triggers such as specific messages, commands, or inline requests. It is no surprise that online gambling via Telegram bots is also possible, as they are capable of integrating with different services, accepting payments, creating games, and allowing users to set up specific notifications. The entire gambling experience is handled through bot chats, with users employing specific triggers to activate responses from the bots.
One of the biggest advantages of Telegram casinos is that they allow users to access gambling platforms more easily and quickly than the standard web-based casino experience. You might spend far more time browsing a casino’s website to find the information you need. Meanwhile, with simple commands, you can quickly trigger Telegram bots to launch any casino operation.
Given Telegram’s growing popularity, it is also much easier to attract new players to virtual casinos. However, while it is extremely convenient to play casino games via Telegram’s bots, there are numerous security concerns about gambling taking place in the app’s bot chats.
How Do Telegram Casinos Operate?
Once you come across a link to a casino bot chat, you will see a welcome message prompting you to start your Telegram gambling experience. Just as in any regular casino, you will be asked to create your account, providing details such as your address and age. You will then be asked to verify your identity before you can play.
Thanks to the various functions of Telegram bots, players can check their available funds, top up their accounts and withdraw their winnings. Through the chat, players can also choose from the games available in the app, manage their account settings, and send any enquiries they might have.
With the Telegram app taking over the world and providing highly secure communication, more people have joined the platform. Thanks to this expanding user base, more gambling operators have started implementing their casino games in the app, opening their doors to new customers. There are a few straightforward steps that casinos follow to launch their Telegram casinos, with the process usually including:
- Development of a script that will create a bot capable of supporting various functions typical of online casinos
- Development of a back-office system that will allow operations between the casino and the bot chat
- Connecting supported payment methods to the bot chat
- Adding a substantial portion of the casino’s gaming portfolio to the chat
- Allowing more users to access the Telegram casino by creating a desktop version
Why Players Might Start Gambling via Telegram Bots?
Although Telegram casinos are a very new niche and have not yet proven themselves secure within the gambling industry, many gambling fans are still considering switching to this type of casino entertainment.
There are several reasons why Telegram casinos may sound like reasonable gambling platforms to players:
Players are ensured anonymity
One of the main reasons players might prefer Telegram casinos is the ability to stay anonymous while playing online. Any data shared on the app by casino players will remain private, as it will not be monitored by any third party, including the casino. This ensures full anonymity for those who choose to play casino games on the Telegram app.
Convenience and accessibility
Another great advantage of Telegram casinos is that accessing casino games through bots is much easier than via traditional web browsing. Creating an account is also significantly faster, as you are quickly prompted in the chat to provide the information required to play online casino games. Because bots are easily shared between users, it is simple to find chats where you can indulge in your favourite casino entertainment. What is more, all of this is available on the Telegram app installed on your handheld device, giving you access to casino games at any time and in any place.
No limits on traffic
This feature of Telegram casinos relates to the anonymity of app users. The content within the app is in no way restricted and there are no controls, allowing players to take advantage of alternative casino incentives that might otherwise be unavailable to them. While players view the lack of traffic limits as a positive feature, it is one of the reasons Telegram casinos are classified as illegal gambling activities in various jurisdictions.
Why Telegram Casinos Cannot Be Licensed
Although Telegram casinos may seem a more convenient way to enjoy your favourite casino games, they are a long way from being licensed in jurisdictions such as the UK. With the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) being among the strictest authorities regulating the gambling industry, its standards for safe and fair gambling have always been extremely high. Meanwhile, although Telegram is preferred by many for the anonymity and lack of traffic limitations it offers, these qualities are also regarded as flaws when it comes to safe gambling.
The safety of the messaging app is another concern that may have led to the distrust some feel towards Telegram casinos. Like other messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Signal, Telegram uses end-to-end encryption to protect information shared by users. However, this encryption applies only to Telegram’s Secret Chats. This means that the rest of the information exchanged through other forms of communication on the app is not protected to the same high level.
Another issue with Telegram is its growing popularity among the wrong audience. While any messaging app offering similar features can be used for malicious purposes, Telegram has recently been used most frequently for criminal activities, including schemes orchestrated on the dark web.
In addition to having no limitations on the size of the media shared on the app, there is also no real moderation of the content shared in Telegram chats. As you might imagine, there is no way for the UKGC to approve any form of gambling taking place on Telegram. In fact, it is also impossible to find games from casinos licensed by other major gambling authorities in Telegram chats. This same lack of moderation and proper player protection is the reason Telegram casinos will most likely remain unregulated in many jurisdictions.
While many find casino gaming on the app very convenient, they might want to reconsider their choices. Currently, the only way to enjoy a legal online gambling experience in the UK and many other jurisdictions is to register and play at online casinos licensed by their respective local authorities.
Should You Try Playing at a Telegram Casino?
We have covered several advantages of playing casino games with Telegram bots. That said, we most certainly do not advise you to jump on this trend before you do your research. Moreover, if you reside in the UK or other jurisdictions with strict gambling regulations, playing at a Telegram casino would mean you would be engaging in unregulated and illegal gambling.
Because Telegram bots are easily shared, you will have no trouble finding chats where you can open an account and play a wide variety of casino games. This will spare you the inconvenience of searching the web for virtual casinos and going through numerous steps before you can play your favourite games.
With many gambling bots appearing on Telegram, there is also a huge risk of running into scammers who promise unusually large profits if you play their casino games. For this reason, you should be extremely careful, as Telegram is among the top apps used for criminal activities. Nevertheless, you can configure your app to block any suspicious bots, preventing you from landing in the wrong chats.
As with many other situations, the onus is on you to decide whether it is a good idea to play casino games on Telegram. Nevertheless, you should bear in mind that if an operator has created a Telegram bot, the casino is most probably unlicensed or has obtained a licence from less trustworthy authorities. If this is not something that concerns you, you can play a wide range of games while remaining completely anonymous. What is more, because Telegram bots are not properly regulated, you may have access to exclusive offers that would otherwise be unavailable to you.
