Swiss iGaming Provider Registered Offshore Casino Domains Targeting European Users

^{The Mystake website is accessible in the United Kingdom despite lacking a license}

Swiss-Georgian iGaming software provider Upgaming is linked to a network of unlicensed online casinos targeting users in Europe, according to a joint investigation by Investigate Europe and The Guardian.

Network of Unlicensed Sites

Upgaming is connected to at least eight platforms operating without national licences, including Velobet, Mystake, and Goldenbet.

^{Unlicensed gambling brands linked to Upgaming that target audiences in the United Kingdom}

According to Similarweb data, these platforms attract an average of around 2.3 million monthly unique users from the United Kingdom, as well as hundreds of thousands of visitors from France and Germany.

Most of the sites are operated by Santeda International, a company registered in Curaçao and licensed in that jurisdiction. Such licences are not recognised in the UK or European Union countries, where local authorisation is required.

Several Santeda-linked domains have also been blacklisted by regulators in France, Italy, Poland, Greece, and Sweden, but continue to target users in those markets.

Links to Upgaming

The report found that some casino domains may have been registered directly by Upgaming or its chief executive, Tornike Tvauri. It also identified connections between Upgaming and marketing platform Affision, which promotes the sites.

^{Tornike Tvauri, the CEO of Upgaming; domains of several Santeda-linked casinos
are registered in his name or by the company}

Registry data indicates that Affision is connected to businessman Alexandre Makashvili, who also holds a stake in Upgaming.

The report also states that Upgaming registered websites specifically targeting users enrolled in the UK self-exclusion scheme Gamstop.

Upgaming’s lawyers said the company does not own or operate any casinos and is not involved in their activities.

Corporate Links and Misleading Advertising

However, corporate documents reviewed by Investigate Europe and The Guardian point to closer ties between the entities. In particular, Santeda was previously known as Onyxion — the same name as Onyxion Malta, a company owned by Tvauri.

That entity was fined €5 million in Spain in 2023 for unlicensed gambling activities.

The report also identified instances of misleading advertising. For example, Mystake was said to have partnerships with Leeds United and Brazilian footballer Ronaldinho, claims that were not substantiated.

^{A photo featuring Ronaldinho and the owner of Mystake was most likely generated using AI, according to analysts}

Earlier, Gambling Park reported that journalists from Investigate Europe had found that popular bloggers across Europe actively promote unlicensed online casinos.