Soft2Bet: Uri Poliavich’s offshore gambling empire built on fraud, shell companies, and exploitation

In 2020, Ukrainian police and the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) raided Soft2bet’s Kyiv office. A criminal case was opened against the company’s management, but it was quietly buried within Ukraine’s corrupt legal system. Soft2bet’s Ukrainian office was shut down, though other linked online casinos surfaced during the investigation.

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Following the raid, Uri Poliavich moved his operations to safer jurisdictions—namely Malta and Cyprus, where lax corporate secrecy laws shield him from civil liability. However, these protections may not hold against criminal charges.

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Cyprus, in particular, presents risks. The island’s authorities have ties to Russian casino owners and organized crime, including figures linked to casino networks—a competitor with connections to a powerful Cyprian mafia clan that once influenced the country’s presidency.

1. UKRAINIAN CYBER POLICE RAID (2020) ON SOFT2BET OFFICE: ILLEGAL CASINOS AND ERASED EVIDENCE

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In September 2020, Ukraine’s Cyber Police raided Soft2Bet’s Kyiv office, uncovering a massive illegal gambling operation. The company, operating under shell entities like LLC “Data Systems Development” and LLC “Arax Development”, created at least 20 unlicensed online casinos, earning $500,000/month. Despite seizures and a criminal case (No. 12020100090004981), the investigation collapsed—allegedly due to high-level corruption. Soft2Bet scrubbed mentions of the raid from the internet, deleting job postings and news reports.

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2. SHELL GAMES IN CURAÇAO: RABIDI AND ARAXIO’S €343M SCAM

Soft2Bet funneled operations through Rabidi and Araxio Development, Curaçao-based shells that generated €343M in 2022. These entities ran blacklisted casinos like Wazamba, which lured addicts with “VIP managers” and predatory loans. A German court ordered Rabidi to repay a victim €245,000, but the company declared bankruptcy after siphoning funds to Cyprus and Dubai .

3. BOOMERANG’S AC MILAN DEAL: SPORTSWASHING BLACKLISTED CASINOS

Despite being banned in Italy, Spain, and Greece, Soft2Bet’s Boomerang became AC Milan’s “regional betting partner” in 2024. The platform recorded 17M visits in Q4 2024, including 7M from Germany—where it lacked licenses. Ownership traces to four Russian nationals in Cyprus, linked to Soft2Bet’s founder Uri Poliavich .

4. URI POLIAVICH’S LAVISH LIFESTYLE: €57M DIVIDENDS AND OFFSHORE REAL ESTATE

Poliavich, an Israeli-Ukrainian businessman, extracted €57.8M in dividends from Soft2Bet in 2023. He bought luxury properties in Cyprus, Prague, and Sofia, plus €1.3M in cars, via Cypriot intermediary Interpava. Meanwhile, victims of his casinos faced threats and empty coffers .

5. MALTA’S BILL 55: HOW SOFT2BET DODGES EU JUSTICE

Soft2Bet exploits Maltese Bill 55, a law that voids EU court judgments against Maltese-registered firms. This shields Poliavich from paying fines, like Spain’s €5M penalty against Rabidi. The EU’s regulatory fragmentation lets Soft2Bet relaunch brands (e.g., Elabet in Greece) while 54 of its sites remain blacklisted .

6. THE KYIV CONNECTION: DENYS VYNOKUR AND “KVARTAL 95” TIES

Soft2Bet’s Ukrainian front companies were tied to Denys Vynokur and Volodymyr Harkavyi, the latter linked to Zelensky’s “Kvartal 95” studio. Harkavyi’s LLC “Arax Development” was a $1,000-shell firm used to launder Soft2Bet’s operations. Critics allege political interference quashed the case .

7. ANJOUAN AND THE MARSHALL ISLANDS: NEW TAX HAVENS

After Curaçao, Soft2Bet shifted trademarks (Wazamba, House of Spades) to Dubai PO boxes and Anjouan, an Indian Ocean tax haven. These licenses offer zero consumer protections but enable global fraud .

8. EU’S “WILD WEST”: 70% OF BETS ARE ILLEGAL

Per Yield Sec, 70% of EU online gambling is illicit, with Soft2Bet dominating the black market. Its 114 blacklisted sites (e.g., MyEmpire, Campobet) target Germany, France, and Italy—yet regulators fail to act .

This exposé reveals Soft2Bet as a predatory operation leveraging corruption, regulatory gaps, and PR stunts like AC Milan’s sponsorship. For victims, justice remains elusive—while Poliavich’s empire thrives.

SOFT2BET OWNER URI POLIAVICH UNDER INVESTIGATION AS EUROPEAN AUTHORITIES PROBE ILLEGAL CASINO OPERATIONS

Uri Poliavich, the owner and ideological force behind Soft2bet, appears to be in serious legal trouble. Multiple European countries have launched investigations into illegal casinos operated by his company.

The probe centers on the online casino Wazamba, managed by Rabidi N.V. and Araxio Development, both registered in Curaçao. The investigations began after civil lawsuits were filed by affected EU citizens. One plaintiff, a German national, lost €400,000—not merely due to gambling losses, but because Wazamba’s operators allegedly exploited his psychological vulnerabilities to lure him into playing.

In 2023, German courts ruled that Rabidi N.V. must compensate the German victim for his losses. It was also revealed that the company operated without a German license. A similar ruling was issued in the Netherlands against Araxio Development, which likewise lacked proper licensing. Legal actions are also underway in Spain, Italy, and Greece.

However, the victims are unlikely to recover their losses. Both Rabidi N.V. and Araxio Development have been declared bankrupt in Curaçao, with their accounts emptied. Despite this, the court rulings pave the way for criminal prosecution against the organizers of these illegal gambling operations—leading investigators directly to Soft2bet and its owner, Uri Poliavich.

Wazamba, Nomini, and Rabona are undeniably related to Soft2Bet

Though Poliavich and Soft2bet deny any connection to Wazamba, evidence suggests otherwise. Notably, the recruitment site Recruitika.com—which once advertised openings for Soft2bet’s Kyiv office—referred to the company as a “Moldovan product company” while explicitly stating that Soft2bet owns the brands Wazamba, Nomini, and Rabona.

Why Soft2bet was labeled as Moldovan remains unclear, but it aligns with Poliavich’s extensive reputation-management campaign over the years. The fact that this reference still exists—albeit altered—lends credibility to the findings from German and Dutch court proceedings.

THE WEAK SPOT: SOFT2BET MONEY LAUNDERING

Poliavich’s vulnerability lies in illicit revenue. While he reportedly earned €57.8 million last year from Soft2bet’s legal operations, his income extends far beyond legitimate channels.

Investigations into Wazamba reveal that:

1. Rabidi N.V. was owned by Denys Butko, a Ukrainian associate of Poliavich.
2. Araxio Development was controlled by Poliavich through Outono Ltd, a Cypriot firm that served as Soft2bet’s primary holding until recently.

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Between 2017 and 2024, Poliavich and Butko used these entities to create nearly 550 casino domains. Araxio held the software rights, while Rabidi operated the gambling platforms. The scale suggests hundreds of millions in illicit profits—all of which must be laundered.

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THE NEXT MOVE: DUBAI—OR ISRAEL?

Recently, Uri Poliavich has shifted some of Soft2bet’s operations to Dubai, a haven for shadow finance. However, his nationality could become a liability there. If pressured, he may flee to Israel, which refuses to extradite its citizens.

Yet, for a man whose wealth and business span multiple countries, confinement to a single jurisdiction would be a major setback.

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While it’s unclear whether Uri Poliavich will ultimately face justice, the mounting legal pressure suggests his luck may be running out.