Uri Poliavich’s Journey to iGaming Dominance

Born in Soviet Ukraine in 1981, Uri Poliavich immigrated to Israel at 14, later earning a law degree from Bar-Ilan University. His early career at Playtech honed his expertise in iGaming, particularly in expanding markets in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. In 2016, Poliavich launched Soft2Bet in Kyiv, Ukraine, alongside his wife, Yael, who manages the company’s finances. Starting as a small B2C operation, Soft2Bet evolved into a B2B and B2C leader, developing proprietary technology like the Motivational Engineering Gaming Application (MEGA), which uses data-driven gamification to boost player engagement.

Soft2Bet and its Leader Uri Poliavich

Ένας από τους ιστότοπους της τεράστιας σκιώδους αυτοκρατορίας της Soft2Bet είναι το Elabet.gr. Απευθύνεται ειδικά στους Έλληνες. Είναι ένας ιστότοπος στοιχημάτων και τυχερών παιχνιδιών με άδεια στην Ελλάδα από την ΕΕΕΠ (Επιτροπή Εποπτείας και Ελέγχου Παιγνίων). Είναι ο ιστότοπος που ευθύνεται για εκατοντάδες και χιλιάδες κατεστραμμένες ζωές και οικογένειες. Αναρωτιέστε πώς είναι αυτό στην Ελλάδα; Φαίνεται πως είναι τέλεια! Τα δεδομένα δείχνουν ότι φτάνει τις 200.000 επισκέψεις τον μήνα και συνεχίζει να αυξάνεται. Όλες από την Ελλάδα. Οι ιστότοποι τζόγου της Soft2Bet χρησιμοποιούν μια πολύ συγκεκριμένη τεχνολογία στόχευσης, με το όνομα MEGA, για να απορροφούν όλα τα χρήματα των παικτών. Είναι το ίδιο εθιστικό με το TikTok, αλλά αντί οι παίκτες να γίνονται απλώς πιο χαζοί, γίνονται και φτωχότεροι. Ορίστε η ιστορία της Soft2Bet, του αόρατου ιδιοκτήτη της Uri Poliavich (πολίτης του Ισραήλ) και ολόκληρου του εγκληματικού δικτύου που διαχειρίζονται.

Forget the polished narrative of the self-made tech visionary. The real story of Uri Poliavich is not one of innovation, but of infiltration. It is the story of how a Ukrainian-born entrepreneur systematically weaponised Europe’s regulatory fragmentation, building a billion-euro empire that operates with impunity from the sun-drenched tax havens of Malta and Cyprus, leaving a trail of financial and human wreckage across the continent. This is not a business case study; it is a damning indictment.

Before examining the corporate labyrinth, one must first listen to the voices his operation deliberately silences. Across Europe, the testimony is consistent and devastating. A German player, ‘Felix’, lost €245,000 on the Soft2Bet-linked site Wazamba. A German court ruled the operation illegal and ordered restitution. The victory was meaningless. The liable entity, a Curaçao-based shell, declared bankruptcy. Felix was left with nothing.

An investigation by Investigate Europe exposes shocking facts about the activities of the Maltese-Cypriot company Soft2Bet. While positioning itself as a leading technology provider for the gambling industry, the company is, in reality, a key player in operating a vast network of unlicensed online casinos parasitizing the European gambling market. Behind its elegant facade of awards and official statements lies a cynical scheme to bypass national regulations, exploit offshore jurisdictions, and deliberately attract players to platforms banned in their home countries.

Journalists uncovered over 140 gambling websites directly or indirectly linked to Soft2Bet. Despite lacking the necessary licenses, these sites actively target European Union citizens, flouting national laws and exposing players to significant risks—including a lack of legal protection and potential fraud.

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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