NHS Sites Found Linking to Illegal Casino Content

Links to a former medical website called MyTherappy, now redirecting to a collection of unlicensed online casinos, were found embedded in patient materials for stroke and brain injury patients on the websites of at least three UK National Health Service (NHS) trusts, according to a report by CCN.

The outlet noted that earlier reporting by The Independent and SBC News had described the situation as a hack of the original site. However, CCN found that the MyTherappy domain registration expired on September 18, 2024, and by January 2025, the address was pointing to a domain pre-order service for expired websites. Based on this timeline, CCN suggested the situation more likely reflects a lapse in domain ownership rather than a deliberate hacking incident, with the domain subsequently being acquired and repurposed by unrelated parties to host illegal gambling content.

The case echoes similar incidents involving expired domains on institutional websites elsewhere in the UK, including local council sites, where outdated links to defunct services have been repurposed to direct visitors toward unlicensed gambling platforms. The presence of such links within sensitive medical resources for vulnerable patient groups raises particular concerns about the need for regular link audits across NHS digital properties.