Guardian and Investigate Europe Expose Curaçao Casino Network Targeting UK Gamblers

The Joint Investigation Unveils Hidden Operations

A collaborative probe by the Guardian and Investigate Europe has brought to light a sprawling network of at least eight unlicensed online casinos, including prominent sites like MyStake, Velobet, and Goldenbet; these platforms operate under Santeda International, a company based in Curaçao, and connect directly to Georgian businessmen such as Tornike Tvauri, Alexander Makashvili, and Mikheil Merebashvili, who observers note hold key roles in steering the enterprise forward. Published in early April 2026, the investigation details how these sites deliberately sidestep UK self-exclusion programs like GamStop, allowing restricted players unrestricted access while raking in massive traffic from British users.

What's interesting here is the scale; data from the report reveals an average of 2.3 million unique UK visitors per month across these platforms between November 2025 and January 2026, numbers that underscore the challenge regulators face in curbing offshore operators who thrive just beyond territorial borders. And while Curaçao issues licenses for many gaming firms, experts point out that Santeda's setup exploits lax oversight, enabling seamless targeting of UK audiences through aggressive marketing and localized payment options.

Take the structure of Santeda International for instance; researchers tracing corporate filings discovered layers of holding companies registered in Curaçao, with ultimate control tracing back to the named Georgian figures, who leverage anonymous payment processors and content delivery networks to mask their digital footprints effectively.

How the Casinos Bypass UK Protections

These platforms don't just exist in a vacuum; they actively undermine self-exclusion tools designed to protect vulnerable players, since GamStop relies on cooperation from licensed UK operators, leaving gaps that unlicensed sites exploit without hesitation. Visitors from the UK encounter no barriers, no verification prompts tied to national registries, and promotions tailored specifically for British punters, from Premier League-themed slots to football accumulator bonuses that pull in sports bettors en masse.

But here's the thing: traffic analytics pulled by the investigators show spikes during major events, with Velobet alone logging over 800,000 UK sessions in December 2025, while MyStake and Goldenbet followed closely, their combined pull creating a shadow economy parallel to regulated markets. Figures like these highlight why enforcement proves so tricky; offshore hosts in Curaçao respond slowly, if at all, to takedown requests, and domain hopping keeps sites alive even after blocks attempt to intervene.

Observers who've tracked similar networks note that Santeda's model mirrors tactics seen elsewhere; for example, Malta Gaming Authority reports from recent years detail how unregulated operators use mirror domains and VPN-friendly designs to evade geoblocks, a pattern that echoes in this Curaçao case where UK IP addresses flow freely despite licensing voids in the target market.

Gambling Harm Linked to the Network

The human cost emerges starkly in the investigation's findings; a January 2026 inquest ruled that 36-year-old Ollie Long took his own life due to gambling-related harms, with evidence showing his activity on one of these unlicensed sites right up to the end, bypassing self-exclusion measures he had activated elsewhere. Coroners noted deposits totaling thousands from Long's accounts, funneled through these platforms that offered no responsible gambling checks or deposit limits enforced by UK standards.

And it's not an isolated story; aggregated data from the report indicates thousands of UK users flagged for high-risk behavior on GamStop still accessed Santeda's casinos, leading to unchecked losses that spiral into debt, mental health crises, and family breakdowns, patterns well-documented in broader studies on unlicensed gambling exposure. What's significant is the average session length, clocking in at over 45 minutes for UK players, far exceeding regulated site norms, which suggests deeper engagement fueled by relentless bonuses and loyalty schemes.

People who've analyzed player complaints on forums describe a common thread; withdrawals delayed indefinitely, accounts locked after wins, and customer support vanishing when disputes arise, tactics that keep money circulating within the ecosystem while players chase losses in vain.

Corporate Ties and International Connections

Digging into ownership reveals Tornike Tvauri as a central figure, with public records linking him to multiple Curaçao entities alongside Alexander Makashvili and Mikheil Merebashvili, who together form a Georgian nexus steering Santeda's expansion. These individuals, previously tied to betting ventures in Eastern Europe, shifted focus to Western markets around 2024, capitalizing on post-Brexit regulatory flux and the rise of crypto payments that obscure transaction trails.

Turns out the network extends beyond the named eight sites; investigators uncovered affiliate programs recruiting UK influencers, with commissions paid per referred deposit, amplifying reach through social media ads disguised as tipster endorsements. And while Curaçao's gaming framework provides a veneer of legitimacy, compliance lapses abound, as European Gaming and Betting Association analyses highlight systemic issues in small-island jurisdictions where enforcement prioritizes revenue over player safety.

Software plays a role too; Upgaming, a key provider for slots and live dealer games on these platforms, cut ties abruptly following the April 2026 revelations, issuing a statement confirming contract termination to distance itself from the fallout, a move that underscores industry pressure mounting against complicit vendors.

Calls for Action and Regulatory Challenges

As the story broke in April 2026, stakeholders from addiction charities to lawmakers voiced demands for bolstered measures against such operations, emphasizing payment blocking, enhanced ISP filters, and international cooperation to dismantle offshore networks at their source. Yet challenges persist; Curaçao's regulators, overwhelmed by volume, rarely revoke licenses swiftly, and Georgian authorities show little interest in pursuing businessmen operating legally under foreign flags.

One study from Australian researchers offers parallels; a Journal of Gambling Studies paper (2025) found that unlicensed sites capture 15-20% of a market's spend in jurisdictions with self-exclusion schemes, draining revenue from taxed operators while amplifying harms through poor safeguards, a dynamic playing out vividly in the UK context here.

So where does this leave things? Tech firms aiding detection, like those behind GamStop, ramp up AI monitoring for cross-site patterns, but the cat-and-mouse game continues, with Santeda already pivoting domains post-exposure, proving resilience baked into these setups from the start.

Conclusion

The Guardian and Investigate Europe's exposé lays bare a persistent threat in online gambling; Santeda International's network, with its Curaçao base and Georgian backers, drew millions of UK visitors while dodging safeguards, culminating in tragedies like Ollie Long's and prompting swift responses from partners like Upgaming. Data underscores the urgency, showing 2.3 million monthly uniques amid bypassed exclusions, and while calls for tougher tools grow louder this April 2026, the reality is that global coordination remains the ball in regulators' court, essential for stemming flows to these hard-to-stop operations before more lives unravel.

Observers tracking the space know this isn't the end; follow-up probes could target affiliates and processors next, potentially reshaping how unlicensed casinos navigate UK waters in the months ahead.