for early access to the latest igaming videos!
and get the latest igaming news first!
Google just rolled out a new spam update targeting practices such as expired domain abuse and the misleading use of trusted websites.
The timing feels almost too fitting.
Earlier today, the editorial team at iGamingToday received a tip from a reader about the domain kreftsyke-barn.no—previously owned by a Norwegian charity supporting children with cancer. The name itself translates directly to “cancer-sick children,” leaving little doubt about its original purpose.
Following a rebrand, the organization appears to have lost control of the domain.
It has now been picked up by a third party and is currently being used to promote online casinos. It is currently ranking on the first page of Google for one major keyword in Norway.
What Could Have Happened?
There may be a straightforward explanation.
Expired domains are often acquired based on metrics—backlinks, authority, and historical performance—without much attention to what the domain actually represented.
In this case, the buyer may simply have seen strong signals and traffic potential, without understanding Norwegian or the context behind it.
That doesn’t change the outcome—but it helps explain how situations like this occur.
A Familiar Tactic—But This One Feels Different
Buying expired domains is nothing new. It’s been part of SEO for years.
But this is not just any expired asset.
The domain is tied to a cause that carries a high level of trust. Repurposing it for gambling content creates a disconnect that’s hard to ignore.
Hundreds of legacy links are still pointing to the site—many from articles meant to help people in difficult situations. Today, those same clicks can lead somewhere entirely different.
Where to Draw the Line?
This is where it stops being purely technical.
Most people in SEO understand how expired domains work. In many cases, it’s simply part of the business. But there’s a difference between using authority—and borrowing trust from something that had a completely different purpose.
A Question for Brands
It also raises a question for the brands being promoted on sites like this.
In competitive markets, exposure is everything. But it’s worth asking where that exposure is coming from—and what it’s associated with.
There is also a legal dimension to consider. In Norway, marketing unlicensed gambling operators is prohibited. If traffic is being driven from domains like this into offshore casino brands, it raises further questions—not just about ethics, but about compliance.
Why This Matters
At iGamingToday, we cover an industry built on performance, competition, and growth.
But there’s also a real user side to this.
With so many legacy links still active, people who were originally looking for help or information may now end up on a gambling site instead.
For someone dealing with a serious illness in the family, landing on a casino page isn’t just irrelevant—it shows how far removed some of these tactics can be from the reality behind the traffic.
This is also not an isolated case. Similar examples have been observed in markets such as the UK and Australia, where expired domains with trusted histories have been repurposed for commercial gain.
Some opportunities may look good on paper. That doesn’t mean they should be pursued.
Google’s latest update is meant to deal with exactly this type of behaviour.
Whether it actually will—remains to be seen.
