While WhatsApp is the leading messaging app, used worldwide for safer communication between people, this may soon change after the company announced important changes in its Privacy Policy. In 2021, WhatsApp shared with its users that according to its updated Privacy Policy, it can share information with Meta, which is WhatsApp’s parent company.
With many people disappointed by the new decision of the popular company, a large number of users have switched to Telegram. While the company was launched back in 2013, it was not until 2021 that it started gaining some popularity. Some of the features that make Telegram a strong contender for the top spot of messaging apps include the 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 started to quickly 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 the operating bots 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 very intriguing and fun, jurisdictions like the UK, are still not on board with the licensing of this form of virtual gambling. Although Telegram is currently one of the top messaging apps chosen by the public, it is also one of the most used apps by organised crime groups and terrorist organisations.
Online Gambling Through Telegram Bots
Third-party developers make use of the operating bots of Telegram, creating their own bots. Simply put, bots represent either channels or accounts that are running on AI platforms, meaning there are no real humans involved in the operation of these accounts or channels.
Telegram bots are advanced enough to carry out different actions like chatting, doing searches, or playing games in the app. Different 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 which it has been shared from. That way, bots can be spread among users even without using a link.
Even though bots can also present chats, they are different from the typical Telegram chats between humans. Bots can answer only when they are prompted via different triggers. These can be specific messages, commands, or inline requests. It is no surprise that online gambling through 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 whole gambling experience is navigated through bot chats, with users using specific triggers to activate responses from bots.
One of the biggest advantages of Telegram casinos is that they allow users to access gambling platforms much easier and faster compared to the standard web-based casino experience. You may spend much more time browsing the casino’s website to find the information you are looking for. Meanwhile, using simple commands, you can quickly trigger Telegram bots to launch any casino operation.
Considering that Telegram is a messaging app that enjoys increasing popularity, it is also much easier to attract more players to virtual casinos. And while it is extremely convenient to play casino games via the operating bots of Telegram, there are plenty of security concerns about gambling taking place in the bot chats of the app.
How Telegram Casinos Operate?
Once you have come across a link to a bot chat for casino games, 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 like your address and age. Then, the player will be asked to verify his/her identity to be able to play.
Thanks to the various functions of the Telegram bots, players are allowed to check their available funds, top up their accounts and also withdraw their winnings. Of course, through the chat, players will also be able to choose from the games available in the app, manage their account settings, and send any inquiries they might be having.
With the Telegram app taking over the world, allowing extremely secure communication, more people have joined the platform. Thanks to its expanding usage, more gambling operators have started implementing their casino games in the app, opening their doors to new users. There are a few easy steps that casinos go through 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 for online casinos
- Development of a back-office 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 its desktop version
Why Players Might Start Gambling via Telegram Bots?
Although Telegram casinos are an extremely new niche and have not proven themselves as extremely secure for the overall gambling industry, there are still many gambling fans who are 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 why players might prefer switching to Telegram casinos is to stay anonymous while playing online. Any data shared on the app by casino players will stay private as it will not be monitored by any third party or the casino for that matter. That ensures full anonymity for those who have decided to play casino games on the Telegram app.
Convenience and accessibility
Another great advantage of Telegram casinos is that it is much easier to access casino games through bots than through traditional web browsing. Creating an account is also significantly faster as you are quickly prompted on the chat to provide the required information to be able to play online casino games. As bots are easily shared between users, it is extremely easy to find chats where you can indulge in your favourite casino entertainment. What is more, all of this is available on the Telegram app you have installed on your handheld device, giving you access to casino games at any time and place.
No limits on traffic
This feature of Telegram casinos traces back to the anonymity of app users. The content on the app is in no way restricted and there are no control actions, allowing players to make use of alternative casino incentives that might otherwise not be available to them. While players view the lack of traffic limits as a positive feature of the app, this is one of the reasons that place Telegram casinos on the list of illegal gambling activities in various jurisdictions.
Why Telegram Casinos Cannot Be Licensed
Although Telegram casinos sound like a much more convenient way to enjoy your favourite casino games, they are far from being licensed by 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 any traffic limitations it offers, those are also considered some of the flaws of the app, at least when it comes to safe gambling.
The safety of the messaging app is another type of concern that may have led to the distrust some have in Telegram casinos. Similarly to other messaging apps like WhatsApp and Signal, Telegram uses end-to-end encryption to protect information shared by users. However, the end-to-end encryption applies only to the Secret Chats of Telegram. This means that the rest of the information exchanged between other types of communication on the app will not be protected via the same high level of encryption.
Another issue with the Telegram app is that it has also been growing in popularity among the wrong people. While any messaging app offering similar features can be used for malicious purposes, Telegram has been the app that has been recently used the most for criminal activities, including malicious actors involved in shady operations on the dark web.
In addition to having no limitations on the size of the media shared on the app, there is also no type of real moderation on the content shared in Telegram chats. As you might imagine, there is no way for the UKGC to give its approval of any type of gambling happening on the platform of Telegram. In fact, it is also impossible to find games of casinos licensed by other major gambling authorities in Telegram chats. The same lack of any moderation and proper protection of players is the reason why Telegram casinos will most likely continue to be 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 the respective local authorities.
Should You Try Playing at a Telegram Casino?
We did cover several advantageous sides of playing casino games with Telegram bots. That said, we most certainly do not advise you to hop 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 will be engaging in unregulated and illegal gambling.
As Telegram bots are easily spread, you will have no issue finding chats where you can open an account and play a vast variety of casino games. This will spare you the inconvenience of going on the web, looking for virtual casinos and going through numerous steps to become a member of a virtual casino to play your favourite games.
With many gambling bots appearing in Telegram, there is also a huge risk of running into scammers, offering you to make an unusually big profit by playing their casino games. That is why you should be extremely careful as Telegram is among the top apps used for criminal activities. That said, you may be able to set up your app to block any suspicious bots, preventing you from landing on the wrong chats.
Like many other cases, the onus is on you to decide whether it is a good idea to play casino games on Telegram. Nevertheless, you should consider the fact that if the 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 bothers you, you can try and play a wide range of games while staying completely anonymous. What is more, as Telegram bots are not really regulated, you may have access to exclusive offers that would not be otherwise available to you.
