The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland has opened an investigation into 145 websites allegedly operated by Soft2Bet, following revelations that the betting giant accepted wagers from Irish customers without proper licensing or age checks.
The regulator announced it is reviewing each site “with a view to enforcement action” and will use “every tool at our disposal to combat and disrupt illegal activity.” The move follows a collaborative investigation published earlier this month by The Irish Times and 14 other media partners that exposed how Soft2Bet‘s network allegedly accepted Irish wagers while operating without required licences.
At least two Soft2Bet-linked sites have shut down since the investigation’s publication. OnlySpins, described as a pornographic gambling site that used two Irish companies to process customer deposits, posted a closure notice stating it would automatically refund deposits. The site had been accepting bets from Ireland without an Irish licence, instead operating under a Tobique licence from a Canadian First Nation reservation.
No age verification required
Despite carrying both gambling and pornographic content, OnlySpins did not require new users to provide any identification to verify they were over 18. The site used Zentoria, which held a remote gambling licence under Ireland’s previous licensing regime, and Morada Horizon Services, with an address at an accountancy firm on Baggot Street in Dublin, to handle customer deposits.
A second site, Betwarts, which carried a Harry Potter theme, has also announced it will close. The Ontario regulator in Canada has reportedly opened its own investigation into Soft2Bet.
€600 million from blacklisted sites
The original investigation disclosed that Soft2Bet and related entities allegedly earned €600 million from betting sites that regulators had blacklisted for illegal gambling in at least one European Union country. Leaked internal files showed how 145 gambling sites were allegedly owned or operated by the Soft2Bet group, which is run by Israeli-Ukrainian multimillionaire Uri Poliavich.
The investigation revealed how the sites allegedly accepted Irish wagers illegally and failed to carry out age verification or identity checks on new customers, raising concerns about underage gambling and consumer protection.
Broader crackdown on unlicensed gambling
The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland, established last year, has intensified enforcement activities in recent weeks. Last week, predictive market site Polymarket geo-blocked Irish users from placing bets after the GRAI informed the platform that predictive markets providing betting activities are classified as remote betting intermediaries under Irish law and require a licence. Prediction market platform Kalshi had already blocked Irish-based betting.
The regulator warned that operators without a licence “should take appropriate steps to prevent access to their platforms by consumers in Ireland. Failure to do so may result in enforcement action.”
A spokesperson for the regulator stated that “black-market gambling is an area of major focus for GRAI and that includes unlicensed prediction markets that provide betting activities.” The authority confirmed it has “a number of live investigations open in relation to black market gambling, with a view to potential prosecutions in due course.”
The wider Soft2Bet network
The scale of the alleged operation came to light through the collaborative investigation that examined how the Soft2Bet network allegedly used Irish corporate structures to facilitate deposits and withdrawals. The use of Irish companies for payment processing, even while operating without Irish licences, raised questions about regulatory oversight of corporate entities involved in gambling operations.
The investigation brought together journalists from across Europe to examine how the network allegedly exploited regulatory gaps between jurisdictions. By holding licences in certain territories while accepting customers from others, the sites allegedly operated in a grey area that made enforcement difficult until recent regulatory changes.
Soft2Bet has denied any wrongdoing in response to the allegations. The company has not publicly commented on the closure of OnlySpins and Betwarts or the ongoing regulatory investigations in Ireland and Canada.
The Irish investigation represents a significant test for the relatively new gambling authority, which took on expanded enforcement powers with its establishment last year. The outcome could influence how other European regulators approach enforcement against multinational gambling operations that serve multiple jurisdictions through complex corporate structures.
Based on reporting by The Irish Times.
This article reports on allegations and legal proceedings as described by the cited source. Any charges or accusations mentioned are unproven, and all individuals are presumed innocent unless and until found guilty in a court of law.