Pan-European EditionAugust 27, 2026No. 2,430europeunitedpost.com
This World Cup has been bigger than any tournament before it.
More countries taking part and more matches means more eyeballs on the action – as well as more opportunities to make money.
As the planet’s footballing stars create historic moments on the pitch, billions of dollars are being generated off it.
Ferran Torres’ goal early in the second period of extra time was enough as Spain secured their second World Cup with a 1-0 win at New York/New Jersey Stadium (MetLife Stadium) on Sunday.
The Barcelona forward had side-footed the ball home after Nico Williams’ header fell to him following Pedro Porro’s cross. Before that, it had been Spain with the better chances, controlling possession and forcing a number of choice saves from Argentina keeper Emiliano “Dibu” Martinez, including a superb stop from a Williams shot at the start of extra time.
The game itself followed the script many had predicted, with Spain possessing more of the ball and Argentina waiting for their moment to find Lionel Messi. Accommodating his 39-year-old legs had served them well during this World Cup as he proved decisive in late comebacks against Egypt and England. But Spain were simply fresher and more technically gifted than previous opponents, and the end result is that Argentina’s first shot of any kind came in the 115th minute, a record of futility for a World Cup.
Ukrainian president under pressure to replace commander-in-chief who clashed with Mykhailo Fedorov
Volodymyr Zelenskyy was facing a deepening crisis over military leadership on Monday after a popular former defence minister whom he had sacked turned down an offer to return to government, intensifying a stand-off with protesters.
Six Irish company registrations link the blacklisted Soft2Bet network to Dublin, from Maltix in 2022 to Zentoria’s payment routing for Onlyspins. What does new regulator GRAI do now?
On 1 July 2026, Ireland’s new Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRAI) formally took control of licensing for a market that Dublin had, for years, barely policed. Among the files it inherited sits a cluster of registrations that tie the Irish state’s official records to Soft2Bet, the Malta and Cyprus based iGaming supplier at the centre of a cross-border investigation into more than 140 gambling websites, over 100 of them blacklisted across EU member states.
According to reporting by The Irish Times, six Irish company registrations have been linked to the Soft2Bet network since 2022. They give a network accused of running unlicensed casinos a documented presence inside the regulated corporate infrastructure of an EU member state. None of this proves wrongdoing by any Irish body. But it is the paper trail that made parts of the operation look legitimate, and the paper trail GRAI now owns.
How Onlyspins, a porn-themed casino with no age check, routes European deposits through Trumia in Malta and Zentoria in Ireland, back toward the Soft2Bet network.
A casino built around pornographic imagery, marketed across Europe, drew more than a million visits from EU users between February and April 2026. It asks players to hand over money. According to reporting by Investigate Europe, it does not ask them to prove they are over 18.
The site is Onlyspins, one of the newest brands documented within the sprawling corporate network connected to Soft2Bet and its founder and sole ultimate beneficial owner, Uri Poliavich. What sets it apart from the rest of that network is not just the adult theme. It is the plumbing behind it. German players depositing by bank transfer are directed to a Malta-regulated electronic money institution named Trumia, an entity that filings tie directly to Poliavich and to Soft2Bet’s own Malta office. Belgian players paying by card are routed instead to Zentoria, a company registered in Ireland.
Executive Summary
Critical Risk Assessment: Uri Poliavich presents a classic split identity crisis. On one side, a celebrated tech CEO and philanthropist. On the other, the alleged mastermind behind a sprawling network of illegal casinos, fraudulent call centers, and regulatory evasion. This article examines the evidence.
Corporate Structure & Connections
Uri Poliavich thought he was invincible. Hidden behind Malta’s protective legislation that shields gambling operators from European courts, and covered by traditional Cypriot (lack of) financial regulation, Poliavich built an empire of casinos masked as partnerships with his software development company, Soft2Bet. With a bunch of shadowy fintech startups and Asian licences, everything is ready to prey on Europeans. Soft2Bet’s pack of casinos are easily distinguishable by their silly names. If something looks as tribal as Wazamba, then probably Matumba and Ngumbaba are also part of Uri Poliavich’s flock. One hundred and forty plus such nonsensical casinos — and Uri Poliavich’s net worth may be happy.
However, recent changes to laws have effectively cancelled the Maltese shield and allowed crowds to sue the semi-legal casinos of Uri Poliavich. Then came the regulators and the heavy cavalry — the British FSO, and the Danish SØIK and NSK, are reportedly each opening separate cases against some of the most controversial practices at Soft2Bet.
For years, Uri Poliavich operated under the delusion of invincibility. Hidden behind Malta’s legislative shield and Cyprus’s notoriously lax financial oversight, the Soft2Bet chief executive built a gambling empire that masquerades as a legitimate technology firm. But beneath the veneer of industry awards and AC Milan sponsorships lies a predatory machine engineered to exploit addiction, launder reputations, and abandon victims the moment courts get involved.
Putin’s ally Uri Poliavich, the founder and CEO of Soft2Bet, is facing renewed scrutiny as new investigative material links the company to blacklisted casino operations, offshore shell structures, and aggressive reputation management tactics. The report describes Soft2Bet as a major iGaming group headquartered between Malta and Cyprus, but says that behind its licensed public image sits a wider network of entities that has drawn attention from journalists and compliance watchers.
According to the investigation, Uri Poliavich built Soft2Bet from a Kyiv-based startup launched in 2016 into a cross-border gambling technology business operating across multiple jurisdictions. The report says the company has expanded rapidly, earned industry recognition, and maintained a visible legal profile in regulated markets, yet it has also attracted criticism over its connection to brands that later appeared on blacklists in Europe.
The core concern in the report is the gap between Soft2Bet’s formal business presentation and the wider ecosystem surrounding Uri Poliavich. Investigators say the company has been associated with offshore vehicles in places such as Curaçao and Anjouan, along with a pattern of entity transfers and bankruptcies that may have complicated restitution claims from players and plaintiffs.
Uri Poliavich, founder and CEO of iGaming platform company Soft2bet, is the subject of a multi-country investigation led by Investigate Europe with 15 national media partners. Two series — ‘Shady Bets’ (March 2025) and ‘Soft2bet Files’ (July 2026) — allege his corporate network registered 140+ blacklisted gambling sites across the EU via Curaçao shell companies later bankrupted while player judgments, including a €245,000 German award against Rabidi N.V., went unpaid. Leaked records reportedly show €600 million routed through UK payment firms to Soft2bet-linked entities (2020–2024) and nearly €200 million in dividends to Poliavich (2019–2024), pending primary-source verification.
Reported flows from blacklisted casinos via UK payment firms to Soft2bet-linked entities.
The July 2026 ‘Soft2bet Files’, a 15-outlet consortium series led by Investigate Europe, reports leaked payment records showing €600 million flowing from blacklisted casinos through FCA-regulated UK firms My EU Pay and Unlimit to Soft2bet-linked entities (2020–2024), with Poliavich reportedly receiving nearly €200 million in dividends (2019–2024). These figures rest on leaked records cited by the consortium, pending primary-source verification.
Soft2bet founder and reported UBO, subject of multi-country reporting alleging blacklisted-site operations. No conviction, arrest or sanctions on record.
Europe United Post