Ethical hackers claims illegal online casinos shut down in Germany

Ethical hacker Lilith Wittmann has claimed software firm The Mill Adventure has struck a blow against a number of illicit online casino operators in Germany. 

It has been said the Malta-based platform provider has stopped access to its software, which was previously utilized by the casinos. 

The unauthorized service providers have now gone offline.

Security researcher Wittman intimated The Mill Adventure’s software contained security flaws, which has contributed to the illegal casinos gaining access. 

Some of the platforms using the software were not on the approved list of the GGL, Germany’s gambling regulator.

On Friday (21 March), Wittmann said on LinkedIn that The Mill Adventure has “pulled the plug” on unregulated operators.

“Now, over a dozen illegal casinos in Germany are offline,” she concluded, following her research into both legal and illegal online casinos.

Wittmann previously alleged that the Merkur security incident earlier this month could have impacted up to 800,000 users. 

She believes the incident centered around an improperly secured GraphQL interface, due to inadequate authorization controls, which could have enabled unauthorized access to sensitive data.

Merkur Group’s impacted platforms were said to have used The Mill Adventure’s portal software.

The researcher’s position is that it can be much more effective to target software providers as an enforcement tool compared to traditional IP blocking, often instructed by the government. 

“I’ve gotten very close to the casino operators – so close that they are now scrambling to cover their tracks,” said Wittmann, suggesting that her investigative efforts have put pressure on those linked to unauthorized gambling services.

In response, a spokesperson for The Mill Adventure told Next.io that it could not be held responsible for how its software is deployed by third-party casino operators.

TMA’s Cypriot subsidiary, The Mill Software Ltd, is the entity that provides the gaming software solutions as a service.

“The Mill Software Ltd provides software only and has no control over the offerings, content, or activities of the website operators who use its services,” they said.

“The responsibility for the operation of these websites lies solely with their respective operators.

“Consequently, neither we nor The Mill Software Ltd are in a position to comment on the actions or activities of these website operators,” they concluded.

Wittmann is considered to be an “ethical hacker” and not a “data thief” because her focus is on security vulnerabilities, not what can be gained from the data or using it without permission.

She has stated this investigation will be the first of many, delving into the online gambling industry.

Image credit: Ideogram

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