Key Takeaways
- • A new Press Gazette investigation scrutinized ClickOut Media-owned football websites.
- • Sites allegedly published AI-written stories and fabricated quotes.
- • Legacy football brands added AI reporters after ownership changes.
- • Gambling and casino affiliate content appeared across the sites.
- • AI-generated author profiles appeared on multiple football websites.
ClickOut Media has been accused by Press Gazette of turning three established football websites into AI-driven publishing operations that promote gambling and casino brands through search traffic.
In a June 19 investigation, Press Gazette reported that She Kicks, Football Blog and Sportscasting had introduced AI-generated reporters after being bought by ClickOut Media. The publication said the sites published error-strewn football stories, fabricated quotes and betting-related content, while former human journalists had previously worked on the brands.
The allegations add to wider scrutiny of affiliate marketing networks that buy established media domains and use their search authority to promote gambling, casino and crypto-related offers.
Three Football Sites Added AI Reporters and Error-Strewn Copy
According to the investigation, She Kicks, Football Blog and Sportscasting had all introduced AI-generated reporters in recent months.
She Kicks is tied to Britain's oldest women's football magazine, which has been published since 1996, with its website operating since 2001. Football Blog has been published since 2004.
The investigation cited several examples of editorial failures. A She Kicks article about the Women’s FA Cup final between Manchester City and Brighton reportedly gave the wrong score, named incorrect goalscorers and described players as appearing when they were not on the teams or had already left.
The article also referred to Gareth Taylor as Manchester City manager, although Taylor left the club last year and now manages Liverpool. Quotes attributed to Taylor appeared online only on She Kicks and OneFootball, which had republished the article.
Another She Kicks article named Matt Beard as Liverpool women’s team manager, although Beard left the club last year and died in September.
The investigation also highlighted a Sportscasting article based on a British Vogue interview with England footballer Declan Rice. Quotes included in the article did not appear in the original British Vogue interview by Olivia Marks and could not be found elsewhere online. The report said Pangram rated the article as 100% AI-generated.
Football Blog was also cited in the investigation. One article about Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi used an AI-generated image and was flagged as 100% AI-generated by Pangram, according to the report.
Report Says Some Author Profiles Appeared to Be AI-Generated
Byline images for Isabella Torres on She Kicks, Steve Adams on Football Blog and Matthew Bancroft on Sportscasting were AI-generated, according to checking service Identifai, the investigation found.
According to the report, the three author profiles had little online presence outside their byline pages while producing multiple articles per day, including sports betting and casino-themed content.
ClickOut Media Linked to Broader Gambling Affiliate Strategy
The investigation also cited former ClickOut Media employees, speaking anonymously, who described layoffs in favor of AI and a chaotic working culture.
Press Gazette said the company had grown into a sizable affiliate publishing business, generating £40 million in turnover during 2024 while declaring a £3 million loss and paying no tax. The publication also said it understood ClickOut may have applied a similar model to hundreds of websites.
The report cited a 2023 podcast interview with Kristoffer Holten, who Press Gazette described as linked to ClickOut Media's business. Holten said casino operators pay affiliates for sending players to them through fixed fees, revenue shares or banner placements. In the same interview, he discussed buying large websites and transforming them into casino and crypto sites, according to the publication.
Press Gazette's earlier investigation in March said ClickOut Media, which it linked to Finixio, had bought or been associated with sports, gaming, tech and gambling websites before shifting them toward casino reviews, betting articles and AI-generated content. That earlier report named sites including Sportslens, She Kicks, Sportscasting UK, Football Blog UK, Techopedia, Esports Insider and Videogamer.
Google's spam policies describe site reputation abuse as publishing third-party content on a host site mainly because of the host site's established ranking signals, with the aim of ranking better than the content otherwise could. Google also says it prohibits scaled low-quality or unoriginal content created to manipulate search rankings.
Search Engine Land, summarizing Press Gazette's earlier reporting in March, said ClickOut Media had been accused of turning news and niche websites into AI gambling hubs. Google told Press Gazette at the time that it could not comment on specific rankings but that its policies prohibit publishing content at scale for the primary purpose of manipulating search rankings.
ClickOut Media Did Not Respond Before Publication, Press Gazette Says
Press Gazette said it contacted ClickOut Media and its executives before publication of the June 19 investigation but had not received a response.
The investigation highlights growing concerns about the use of AI-generated content on established media brands and the role of affiliate publishers in repurposing trusted domains for gambling-related content. It also raises questions about how legacy sports publications are treated after acquisition when long-standing editorial brands are used to publish betting or casino material under AI-generated bylines.
