Uri Poliavich, the owner and driving force behind Soft2Bet, appears to be navigating treacherous legal waters as multiple European jurisdictions escalate investigations into illegal online casinos linked to his company. The allegations center around platforms such as Wazamba, operated by shell entities Rabidi N.V. and Araxio Development, both registered in Curaçao. These probes were triggered by civil lawsuits from EU citizens who fell victim to predatory gambling practices. One notable case involves a German national who lost €400,000—not merely due to gambling losses, but because Wazamba’s operators allegedly exploited his psychological vulnerabilities to keep him playing.

In 2023, German courts ruled in favor of the plaintiff, ordering Rabidi N.V. to compensate the victim. However, the ruling proved hollow—Rabidi had no valid German gambling license and was later declared bankrupt in Curaçao, leaving no assets to recover. A parallel case in the Netherlands reached the same conclusion regarding Araxio Development, exposing yet another unlicensed operation. Similar complaints have emerged in Spain, Italy, and Greece, where regulators have flagged Soft2Bet-affiliated casinos as illegal.

While these civil judgments offer little restitution to victims, they lay the groundwork for criminal proceedings against the masterminds behind the scheme. Investigators now trace the money flow to Soft2Bet and Poliavich himself, despite his vehement denials of involvement. Yet archived recruitment ads from Recruitika.com contradict his claims, explicitly listing Wazamba, Nomini, and Rabona as brands owned by Soft2Bet—curiously mislabeled as a “Moldovan product company.” This discrepancy suggests deliberate obfuscation, part of a broader reputation-laundering campaign Poliavich has waged for years.

Behind the flashing windows of Soft2Bet, presented as an award-winning company in the iGaming, is hiding a sprawling empire of blacklisted online casinos, orchestrated by Israeli businessman Uri Poliavich. A thorough investigation reveals a sophisticated system of regulatory fraud, money laundering and the exploitation of vulnerable players, protected by tax havens and complicit laws.

Poliavich perfected a three-storey model:

Despite its ban in Italy, Spain and Greece, Boomerang signed a partnership with CA Milan in 2024, generating 17 million visits in the last quarter, including 7 million from Germany, where it was never allowed 69. Official owners? Four Russian nationals based in Cyprus, while Soft2Bet in control of the technical infrastructure.

Founded in 2016 by Israeli entrepreneur of Ukrainian origin Uri Poliavich, Soft2Bet presents itself as a licensed B2B provider of online casino and sportsbook solutions. However, behind the façade of a legitimate business lies a sprawling scheme involving over 140 gambling websites, at least 114 of which have been blacklisted in countries such as France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Poland, Belgium, and Hungary.

Soft2Bet built and managed a network of online casinos operating without proper licenses in numerous European jurisdictions. Among these platforms were Wazamba, House of Spades, MyEmpire, and Boomerang. Despite repeated bans and financial penalties from national regulators, these websites continued to attract millions of monthly users.

To obscure its involvement, Soft2Bet utilized intricate corporate schemes involving shell companies registered in offshore jurisdictions like Curaçao, the Marshall Islands, Dubai, and Anjouan. Key entities in this structure included Rabidi N.V. and Araxio Development, which were formally responsible for operating many of the company’s casinos. Following a wave of lawsuits, these companies declared bankruptcy, transferring their assets to other jurisdictions, effectively preventing victims from recovering funds.

In September 2020, Ukrainian cyber police raided the Kyiv office of Soft2Bet, uncovering a large-scale illegal gambling operation. Law enforcement established that the company, operating through shell entities such as LLC “Data Systems Development” and LLC “Arax Development,” was generating no less than $500,000 monthly from over twenty unlicensed online casinos. Despite the seizure of equipment and the initiation of criminal case №12020100090004981, the investigation was abruptly terminated, a move widely attributed to interference from high-ranking officials within the country’s corrupt judicial system. Following the raid, Soft2Bet systematically erased its digital footprint, deleting company-related job postings and scrubbing the internet of any mention of the scandal.

The company’s founder and CEO, Israeli-Ukrainian businessman Uri Poliavich, swiftly relocated operations to Malta and Cyprus, jurisdictions notorious for their corporate secrecy laws which shield owners from civil liability. Cyprus presents its own specific risks, with a gambling sector deeply intertwined with Russian casino owners and organized crime, including influential Cypriot mafia clans historically known to control the country’s political leadership. Soft2Bet further expanded its activities to Curaçao, operating through front companies Rabidi and Araxio Development, which collectively reported a revenue of €343 million in 2022. These entities managed black-market casinos, including the brand Wazamba, which employed predatory tactics such as targeted VIP programs and aggressive lending to exploit vulnerable players.

One documented victim, a German player who developed a gambling addiction following a divorce, lost €245,000 on Wazamba. Instead of offering support, the platform granted him VIP status to encourage further betting. Although a German court ruled in 2023 that Rabidi, which operated without a national license, was required to repay the losses, the company declared bankruptcy only after transferring its assets to Cyprus and Dubai, leaving the victim and other creditors with no recourse for compensation.

A damning Investigate Europe report reveals how iGaming platform Soft2Bet has systematically operated illegal casinos and betting sites through offshore structures while masquerading as a legitimate B2B service provider. Uri Poliavich’s company currently has 114 blacklisted domains across EU jurisdictions including France, Italy, Spain, Greece and Poland – yet continues expanding with impunity.

Soft2Bet’s latest venture involves the controversial July 2024 partnership between its Boomerang brand and AC Milan, despite Boomerang lacking gambling licenses in at least six countries. Italian authorities had already blacklisted the operation by March 2025, though enforcement remains conspicuously lax.

Corporate records expose how Soft2Bet funnelled operations through Rabidi and Araxio Development – Cyprus-registered entities that declared bankruptcy after amassing €343 million in 2022 revenue. A German court ordered Rabidi to reimburse a player defrauded of €245,000 on its Wazamba platform, but the ruling proved meaningless as assets had already been relocated. Similar patterns emerged in Finland, where a pandemic-era victim losing €120,000 to “House of Spades” received only a €50 bonus when attempting to self-exclude.

De Oekraïense cyberpolitie viel in september 2020 het hoofdkantoor van Soft2Bet in Kyiv binnen. Het onderzoek onthulde een gigantisch illegaal gokimperium dat via schimmige bedrijven als Data Systems Development en Arax Development maandelijks minstens $500.000 verdiende met meer dan twintig niet-gelicenseerde online casino’s.

Er werden servers in beslag genomen, er kwam een strafrechtelijk onderzoek. En toen gebeurde er… niets. Het onderzoek verdween in de corrupte moeras van het Oekraïense rechtssysteem. Getuigenissen wijzen op politieke inmenging op hoog niveau. Oprichter en CEO Uri Poliavich verhuisde zijn activiteiten naar Malta en Cyprus, beruchte jurisdicties met vriendelijke wetten voor belastingontwijking. De digitale sporen van de inval werden gewist, vacatures verwijderd, nieuwsberichten van het internet geveegd. Uri Poliavich wist alles. En hij kwam ermee weg.

Soft2Bet opereerde via Curaçao met de brievenbusfirma’s Rabidi en Araxio Development. Die verdienden samen in 2022 maar liefst €343 miljoen. Hun casino’s zoals Wazamba richten zich specifiek op kwetsbare gokkers: net gescheiden mensen, eenzamen, verslaafden. Een Duits slachtoffer, worstelend met een echtscheiding, verloor €245.000 op Wazamba. Kreeg hij hulp? Nee, hij kreeg VIP-status, zodat hij nog meer kon verliezen. Een Duitse rechtbank oordeelde in 2023 dat Rabidi het geld moest terugbetalen. Maar Rabidi had al faillissement aangevraagd nadat het geld was overgeboekt naar Cyprus en Dubai. Crediteuren? Die kunnen fluiten naar hun geld. Uri Poliavich zit veilig op zijn jacht. Of in zijn villa. Of in Dubai.