The $655 Million Question: How Do You Hide Half a Million Fake Games?
ANSWER: You put FC Barcelona’s logo on your website.
In a gymnasium somewhere in Eastern Europe, something deeply unsettling is happening to sport itself. Teams called “Arsenal” and “Real” are playing football, but these aren’t the clubs you know. The legendary crests on their jerseys are the only familiar things about this eerie contest.
What you’re watching is a factory. A sports factory.
The space is partitioned by cheap curtains, isolating this small pitch from other simultaneous games happening just feet away.1 No spectators. No referee.
A single, static camera captures the soulless action like a security feed. With 32 seconds left, “Real” scores. No one celebrates. The players walk off-screen with the mechanical indifference of shift workers, already changing uniforms for the next match.1
At 4:30 AM, the goalkeeper for “Amsterdam” casually wanders into an adjacent game to retrieve his ball—a surreal crossover between two parallel sporting universes that reveals the manufactured nature of this entire operation.1
This is the strange, soulless world of the gambling operator’s live-streamed sports—a spectacle devoid of passion, context, or consequence. These aren’t sports as we know them; they’re content, produced in what can only be described as “sports-betting farms.”.2
The Staggering Scale: A Numbers Game That Will Shock You
Here, minimum-wage workers reportedly play an endless succession of games for one purpose: generating betting markets for this gambling company, one of the world’s largest and most controversial betting operators.2
Volume Analysis: Industrial-Scale Production
The scale is almost incomprehensible:
• 1,297 games of “short football” streamed in just 24 hours (Bellingcat analysis).1 • Compare that to major leagues: Germany, England, and Spain combined play only 1,066 games in an entire season.1 • Projected annual output: Nearly 500,000 fake matches per year.1 • The operation runs 24/7 across multiple hidden locations
This is an industrial-scale production line of betting opportunities, churning out fake sports content at a pace that dwarfs legitimate professional athletics.
The Questions That Expose a Global Scandal
This revelation raises profound and disturbing questions that go to the heart of modern sports:
Key Investigative Questions
🔍 WHO? Who are these players, reportedly recruited to play in shifts for cash payments like factory workers?.1
📍 WHERE? Where are these hidden sports farms that operate around the clock from secret locations?.2
💰 HOW? How can the company behind this shadow industry—whose founders are allegedly wanted on international arrest warrants for generating $655+ million in illegal gambling income.1—simultaneously stand as a celebrated partner of the world’s most prestigious sporting institutions?
The Partnership Paradox
🚨 THE SHOCKING REALITY: The betting operator’s logo appears on FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain websites while the company allegedly operates this network of deception.4
This report, a collaboration with investigative outlets Bellingcat and Josimar, exposes the ghost game—revealing how this betting empire thrives in the shadows while basking in the reflected glory of sport’s brightest lights.
Chapter 1: Digital Detectives vs. The Ghost Empire
How investigators cracked the code of 1xBet’s anonymous sports factories
The foundation of this betting farm empire is total anonymity: undisclosed locations, obscure leagues, unknown players.1 Breaking through this wall of secrecy required cutting-edge digital detective work.
Enter Bellingcat—the Netherlands-based investigative collective that exposed Russian war crimes in Ukraine and tracked down the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 perpetrators.6 Now they turned their formidable open-source intelligence (OSINT) capabilities toward this hidden network.4
The mission: Transform grainy security-camera footage into verifiable real-world locations.
The OSINT Toolkit: Modern Sherlock Holmes Techniques
Digital Detective Methods
TECHNIQUE #1: The Banner That Betrayed a Network
Investigators captured still frames from video streams and ran them through reverse image searches. One breakthrough came from a seemingly innocent banner visible during a football match.
The Discovery Trail:
- Banner spotted in grainy 1xBet stream footage
- Reverse image search led to Instagram profile
- Result: “Box 365 Football Complex” in Minsk, Belarus
- Smoking gun: The complex’s own social media posts confirmed they were streaming “Betbox” games directly to the betting platform.4
TECHNIQUE #2: From Warehouse to Real Estate Listing
Another investigation thread unraveled when researchers reverse-searched interior shots of a cricket venue: • Cricket matches streaming from mysterious warehouse • Image search led to YouTube channel • Final connection: Real estate listing in Yaroslavl, Russia describing “three halls that can be combined into one space”.4 • Perfect match: The rental listing photos matched the gambling operator’s stream backdrops exactly.4
TECHNIQUE #3: The Volleyball Keyword Breakthrough
Social media detective work uncovered another location: • Keywords searched: “volleyball” + “Bryansk”.4 • Discovery: Social media pages of “Titan Sports House” • Confirmation: Posted photos matched stream locations perfectly.4
TECHNIQUE #4: Shadow Finder - The Sun Reveals All
For outdoor venues, Bellingcat deployed their secret weapon: the proprietary “Shadow Finder” tool.
How it works: This innovative software analyzes shadows cast by the sun in video footage to determine: ✓ Geographic coordinates of filming location ✓ Exact time of day the footage was captured
The breakthrough case: An outdoor 3x3 football pitch in a car park
• Hypothesis: Location near Titan Sports House in Bryansk
• Shadow analysis: Confirmed western Russia geographic area.4
• Final verification: Distinctive pylon and blue-yellow wall matched Google Street View imagery.4
TECHNIQUE #5: Satellite Eyes in the Sky
High-resolution satellite imagery provided the smoking gun verification: • Target: Alexander Stepin Football School in Bryansk • Stream analysis: Two pitches running games simultaneously • Satellite confirmation: SkySat imagery from Planet Labs PBC clearly showed both pitches in operation.1 • Result: Undeniable proof of coordinated sports farming at a children’s school
The Shocking Discovery: A Parasitic Network Spanning Continents
Geographic Scope of Operations
THE RESULTS WILL DISTURB YOU
Bellingcat’s investigation successfully geolocated over 16 venues across Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and likely India.1 But the locations they found were more shocking than anyone expected.
These aren’t purpose-built studios. They’re a parasitic collection of co-opted facilities—many shockingly inappropriate for hosting a global gambling operation.
THE MOST SHOCKING LOCATIONS UNCOVERED:
🚨 A children’s football school in Bryansk—partnered with Putin’s United Russia party and sanctioned Gazprom.1
🏭 Repurposed industrial warehouses for cricket in Yaroslavl.4
🚗 An outdoor pitch in a car park in Bryansk.4
🏢 Multiple commercial arenas across Minsk, Moscow, and Yekaterinburg.4
🏃♂️ Random gyms and sports halls throughout Eastern Europe
Strategic Advantages of the Network Model
This diversity reveals the betting operator’s calculated but concerning strategy:
✓ Highly adaptable infrastructure - can set up anywhere
✓ Parasitic model - latches onto existing facilities
✓ Low overhead operation - minimal investment required
✓ Resilient network - shut down one venue, another opens instantly
The children’s school connection is particularly damning: Using a facility affiliated with Putin’s party in a country where the gambling company is banned suggests either profound local corruption or complete disregard for legal boundaries.1
Key Venues Identified by Bellingcat Investigation
| Venue Name/Description | Location (City, Country) | Venue Type | Sports Streamed | Primary OSINT Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander Stepin Football School | Bryansk, Russia | Children’s Football School | Short Football | Social Media Analysis, Satellite Imagery |
| Box 365 Football Complex | Minsk, Belarus | Commercial Football Complex | ”Betbox” Football | Reverse Image Search (Banner) |
| Titan Sports House | Bryansk, Russia | Sports Hall | Volleyball, Short Football | Keyword Search, Social Media Analysis |
| Outdoor Pitch near Titan Sports House | Bryansk, Russia | Car Park Pitch | 3x3 Short Football | Shadow Finder Tool, Google Street View |
| Yaroslavl Warehouse | Yaroslavl, Russia | Industrial Warehouse | Cricket | Reverse Image Search (Interior) |
| Football Arena Nagatino | Moscow, Russia | Indoor Football Tent | Short Football | Reverse Image Search (Yandex) |
| Azart Sports Hall | Yaroslavl, Russia | Sports Hall | Basketball | Archived Website Analysis, Social Media |
| Drive Fitness Gym | Yekaterinburg, Russia | Commercial Gym | Basketball | Keyword Search, Social media |
| Match Arena | Perm, Russia | Sports Arena | Basketball | IP Address Analysis, Social Media |
| Semi-outdoor Area | Gujarat, India (Likely) | Unverified | Cricket | Shadow Finder Tool, Website Analysis |
Chapter 2: The $655 Million Ghost - How to Disappear While Running a Global Empire
The masterclass in corporate invisibility that makes 1xBet untouchable
How does a company operate a brazen global sports-farming network with apparent immunity from law enforcement? The answer lies in the betting operator’s corporate architecture—a masterclass in jurisdictional arbitrage and deliberate obfuscation.
This isn’t a conventional business with a headquarters and accountability. It’s a “ghost company”.8—an entity allegedly designed from the ground up to be: • Elusive - difficult to pin down • Intangible - existing everywhere and nowhere • Resistant to regulation - slipping through legal cracks
This architecture of evasion appears to be a key feature, not a flaw.
Meet the Fugitive Founders: When Ex-Cops Go Rogue
Background of Leadership
The story begins in Bryansk, Russia—with a police insider who allegedly knew exactly how to evade the law
The betting empire was founded by three men, but one stands out: Sergey Karshkov, a former major in the regional police’s cybercrimes division.5 His law enforcement background allegedly provided insight for building a legally elusive enterprise.
THE FOUNDING TRIO NOW ON THE RUN:
• Roman Semiokhin - Co-founder, international fugitive
• Dmitry Kazorin - Co-founder, international fugitive
• Sergey Karshkov - Ex-police cybercrime expert, international fugitive
THEIR CRIMINAL LEGACY: 💰 $655+ million in illegal gambling income (2014-2019).1 🚨 International wanted by Russian authorities 👥 1+ million victims represented by law firms.5 💸 $15+ million in assets seized by investigators.5 🛂 Cypriot citizenship - their escape route from justice.5
These fugitives didn’t stay in Russia long—they built their empire and fled, leaving behind a trail of defrauded victims and legal chaos.
The Corporate Shell Game: A Master Class in Legal Evasion
Corporate Structure Analysis
How to allegedly run a $655 million operation while being legally untouchable
After fleeing Russia, the founders allegedly constructed a corporate labyrinth designed to make the betting operator difficult to pin down. Here’s how they reportedly did it:
🏴☠️ STRATEGY #1: FLAGS OF CONVENIENCE • License from: Curaçao eGaming (notorious for lax oversight).5 • Why Curaçao? Minimal requirements, low costs, almost no scrutiny • The result: Global operation with regulatory cover
👻 STRATEGY #2: GHOST HEADQUARTERS • Official address: Limassol, Cyprus (tax haven).5 • Reality check: Physical investigations found “ghost offices”.8 • What that means: Shared office rentals and hastily abandoned locations • The truth: The headquarters is as fake as the sports they stream
💰 STRATEGY #3: WEAPONIZED BANKRUPTCY • Parent company: 1XCorp N.V. declared bankrupt in Curaçao AND Netherlands.1 • The issue: Allegedly failed to pay millions in legitimate customer winnings.5 • The concern: Brand continues operating despite legal judgments • The strategy: Disposable legal entities reportedly absorb attacks while profitable brand survives
🐙 STRATEGY #4: THE DOMAIN HYDRA • Main site blocked? Dozens of mirror domains reportedly appear.8 • Examples: Multiple domain variations with similar naming patterns • Result: Makes website blocking challenging for authorities
EXPOSED: The Fake Spokesperson Who Signed Barcelona’s Deal
Identity Deception Investigation
Meet “Alex Sommers” - the allegedly non-existent man behind million-dollar partnerships
Perhaps nothing shows the gambling operator’s concerning approach to transparency better than their official spokesperson, “Alex Sommers.” His name appears on: • Press releases for the FC Barcelona partnership.15 • Official statements for Central Asian Football Association deals.15 • Major media interviews as the “public face” of the betting company
THERE’S JUST ONE PROBLEM: HE DOESN’T EXIST.
THE SHOCKING DISCOVERY:
🔍 Bellingcat investigation revealed: “Alex Sommers” profile picture was stolen.1
📰 The real photo belonged to: A legitimate CNN journalist.1
❌ CNN’s response: Confirmed the theft, neither company nor journalist knew.1
🚫 1xBet’s response: Stopped answering emails and calls when confronted.1
THE IMPLICATIONS ARE STAGGERING: • FC Barcelona signed partnerships based on communications with a fake person • International deals were announced by someone who doesn’t exist • Media interviews were conducted using a stolen identity
This allegedly fake spokesperson represents broader concerns about the gambling operator: a business model that appears built on deception, using borrowed legitimacy to obscure controversial operations.
THE BOTTOM LINE: This web of complexity appears calculated rather than chaotic. The betting operator has allegedly engineered an architecture of evasion that exists everywhere and nowhere at once, making it challenging for traditional law enforcement to address.
Chapter 3: The Rap Sheet - A Company Built on Breaking Every Rule
Sports farms are just the beginning. Here’s 1xBet’s shocking criminal history
The industrial-scale sports farm operation isn’t an aberration—it’s the latest concerning development in a long track record. This company doesn’t accidentally encounter regulatory issues; regulatory arbitrage appears to be their business model.
WHAT YOU’RE ABOUT TO READ REVEALS A CONCERNING PATTERN: The track record suggests a corporate culture that actively challenges legal norms, appears to disregard ethical standards, and thrives in controversial corners of global gambling. These aren’t isolated incidents—they appear to be foundational to how the betting operator functions.
The 2019 Bombshell: When The Sunday Times Exposed the Depravity
UK Investigation Findings
The investigation that shocked the world and cost the betting operator its UK empire
In 2019, The Sunday Times dropped a bombshell exposé that revealed concerning practices by the gambling company. Remember: this was when they held a UK license and sponsored Chelsea, Liverpool, and Tottenham.
THE CONCERNING ACTIVITIES ALLEGEDLY UNCOVERED:
🔞 INAPPROPRIATE CASINO PROMOTIONS • Platform allegedly hosted inappropriate adult content.1 • Reported violation of advertising standards • Sexualized gambling content targeting mainstream audiences
🧒 BETTING ON YOUTH SPORTS
• Allegedly taking bets on underage sporting events.1
• Raising concerns about minor exploitation
• Apparent disregard for child protection standards
🐓 CONTROVERSIAL BETTING MARKETS
• Allegedly offering bets on blood sports.1
• Animal welfare concerns raised
• Demonstrating willingness to profit from controversial content
🏴☠️ ADVERTISING ON UNAUTHORIZED SITES • Allegedly major advertiser on illegal streaming websites.5 • Reported support of copyright infringement • Profiting from unauthorized content distribution
THE REGULATORY RESPONSE:
⚖️ UK Gambling Commission: Suspended the operator’s license.5
🚫 Market restriction: Banned from one of world’s most lucrative gambling markets.5
💔 Premier League separation: Chelsea, Liverpool, and Tottenham ended multi-million-dollar partnerships.1
The Global Pariah: Banned Across Continents
International Regulatory Response
How the gambling operator became one of the most unwanted betting companies on Earth
The UK ejection was just the beginning. The betting company has systematically encountered regulatory challenges worldwide:
🇷🇺 RUSSIA (HOME COUNTRY) • Status: Complete blanket ban.1 • Founders: Allegedly wanted individuals with reported international arrest warrants • Action taken: Federal Tax Service blacklisted payment processors.1
🇺🇦 UKRAINE • March 2022: Initially granted licenses (during Russian invasion).1 • Public concern: Petition demanded investigation • September 2022: President Zelensky ordered revocation.1 • Stated reason: “Undeniable ties to the aggressor state”.1
🇲🇦 MOROCCO • Status: Legal complaint reportedly filed.1 • Investigation: Probe by National Judicial Police Brigade.1 • Scope: Comprehensive review of activities
🇸🇴 SOMALIA • Action: Complete ban alongside TikTok and Telegram.21 • Government concern: Alleged use by “terrorists and immoral groups”.21 • Classification: Classified as threat to national security
THE PATTERN IS CONCERNING: The more regulators investigate the betting operator, the faster they implement restrictions.
Pattern of Alleged Violations
The gambling operator’s alleged pattern of misconduct reportedly extends beyond regulatory compliance to include intellectual property concerns and difficulties honoring customer obligations. The “bench-soccer” games found being streamed on the site, where two players sit opposite each other and kick a ball through a hole in a table, were allegedly identified as an unauthorized copy of a patented product.1
Subsoccer, the Finnish company that created and patented the game, confirmed that it had not supplied the equipment or granted any rights to the betting operator. The company stated that the games shown were allegedly an infringement of its patent and a violation of its trademark, representing another example of concerning business practices.1
This consistent pattern of behavior—allegedly offering ethically questionable betting markets, advertising on unauthorized websites, intellectual property concerns, and bankruptcy declarations amid customer payment disputes—appears to reveal the core of the company’s strategy.
The betting operator does not compete with established, compliant operators in well-regulated markets. Instead, it appears to thrive by exploiting market vacuums created by legal and ethical boundaries. It goes where others will not, offering products others cannot, and operating in ways others would not dare.
The “sports farms” represent a logical extension of this philosophy: when legitimate sporting content is expensive or regulated, the company allegedly manufactures its own, creating a proprietary, unregulated, and endlessly scalable betting product.
Chapter 4: BETRAYAL - How Barcelona and PSG Sold Their Souls for Blood Money
The €12 million question: How much does it cost to buy football’s most beloved clubs?
Here’s the central question that raises serious concerns: How can a company banned in its home country, with allegations of inappropriate content promotion and terrorism concerns, simultaneously display its logo on FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain’s websites?
The answer appears concerning: Sport’s biggest institutions prioritized financial considerations over due diligence.
This isn’t just “sports-washing”—it represents systemic failure where football’s most sacred institutions appear to trade their priceless legitimacy to legitimize controversial operations. Major sporting names appear complicit in this concerning arrangement.
The Shameful Gallery: Sport’s Most Prestigious Institutions for Sale
Partnership Portfolio Analysis
These beloved organizations allegedly took money from a controversial operator and you’ll recognize every name
Despite its concerning track record, the betting operator assembled a sponsorship portfolio that serves as a shield of borrowed credibility, broadcasting to billions of unsuspecting fans:
⚽ ELITE FOOTBALL’S FALL FROM GRACE: • FC Barcelona - Global Partner until 2029 (renewed AFTER scandals).4 • Paris Saint-Germain - Regional Partner (strategic blind eye to French ban).4 • Serie A - Italy’s top league sold out • Confederation of African Football - An entire continent’s governing body.4
🏀 GLOBAL FEDERATIONS CORRUPTED: • FIBA - World basketball’s governing body.24 • Volleyball World - International volleyball sold out • Billie Jean King Cup - Women’s tennis prestige for sale.24
🎮 ESPORTS CONTAMINATED: • OG Esports, Team Spirit, ESL - Gaming’s future tainted.5
CASE STUDY: Barcelona’s €12 Million Partnership
Financial Partnership Details
How the world’s most beloved club entered a controversial partnership
FC Barcelona—the club that gave the world Messi, Ronaldinho, and “More Than a Club”—has become the betting operator’s most valuable legitimacy asset.27 In July 2024, during their worst financial crisis ever, Barcelona RENEWED their deal for five more years through 2029.17
THE BLOOD MONEY BREAKDOWN:
💰 Base payment: €9 million per season.27
🏆 Success bonus: Up to €12 million with wins.27
📅 Contract length: 5 years (total: €60 million potential)
🚨 Timing: Renewed AFTER major scandals exposed
Reports have described Barcelona’s financial desperation forcing them to “dance with the devil” and put “cash before conscience.”.27
BARCELONA’S CONCERNING JUSTIFICATIONS: When confronted about partnering with a controversial operator, Barcelona’s leadership offered questionable rationalizations: • “The operator is headquartered in Cyprus, not Russia” (reportedly ignoring the Russian founder concerns).27 • Complete silence when Bellingcat presented sports-farming evidence.1 • “Declined to comment” when asked about controversial partnerships.1
THE CONCERNING DISCONNECT:
🤐 Barcelona’s response to concerning evidence: Complete silence.1
📢 Barcelona’s press release about partnership: Praised the betting operator as a “reliable partner” and “benchmark brand”.17
FC Barcelona called an organization with allegedly wanted founders a “benchmark brand” while refusing to comment on evidence of concerning practices.
CASE STUDY: PSG’s Strategic Partnership
Regional Partnership Structure
How Paris Saint-Germain structured a partnership to profit while avoiding domestic scrutiny
PSG’s approach appears more calculated than Barcelona’s. They’ve reportedly crafted a strategic arrangement to profit from a controversial operator while maintaining plausible deniability.18
THE STRATEGIC APPROACH:
📍 Geographic limitation: “Regional partner” for Africa and Asia only.18
🇫🇷 French regulation avoidance: The betting operator is banned in France, so PSG targets other markets.32
💰 Selective benefit: Reap financial benefits while avoiding domestic regulatory scrutiny
🤫 Regulatory buffer: “We’re not promoting them in France!”
ANALYSIS: PSG appears aware of the operator’s controversial nature, so they designed a partnership structure that allows profit in markets where regulatory oversight may be less stringent.
PSG’S NOTABLE SILENCE: Similar to Barcelona, when Bellingcat confronted PSG with evidence of the sports-farming operation and controversial activities, PSG did not respond to requests for comment.1
The approach suggests: PSG appears willing to partner with controversial operators in markets where they can avoid having to justify the relationship to French authorities.
This apparent willful ignorance extends beyond individual clubs. It points to a broader systemic failure within sports governance.
Investigative projects like “The Devil is in The Data,” conducted by journalists including Philippe Auclair for Josimar, have revealed the sporting world’s “inability to do any meaningful background checks on betting partners”.12
Football appears overwhelmed with opaque, “Asian facing” operators, many allegedly linked to questionable activities and using complex corporate structures to obscure their true ownership.34
The relationship between the betting operator and its elite partners represents the most visible symptom of this deeper systemic issue. It creates a transactional dependency: clubs, desperate for cash, appear to sell their invaluable legitimacy to operators they may know are controversial.
In doing so, they potentially become active participants in legitimizing that operator’s reputation, potentially compromising the integrity of the sport they represent.
1xBet Partnership Overview
| Partner | Sport/League | Deal Status/Term | Partner’s Public Statement on Partnership | Partner’s Response to Controversy Inquiry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FC Barcelona | Football | Global Partner (Renewed until 2029) | “Consolidation of a long-term collaboration… with a benchmark brand." | "Declined to comment” |
| Paris Saint-Germain | Football | Regional Partner (2022-2025) | “We are delighted to welcome 1XBet as a regional partner." | "Did not respond” |
| FIBA | Basketball | Global Partner (2024-2027) | “This Partnership will be game-changing.” | Not available |
| Serie A | Football | International Presenting Partner | Not available | Not available |
| Confederation of African Football (CAF) | Football | Official Sponsor | ”Pleased to partner with one of the world’s important and trusted betting companies.” | Re-evaluating partnership after inquiries |
| Billie Jean King Cup | Tennis | Global Betting Partner (until 2026) | “1xBet and Billie Jean King Cup announce global partnership.” | Not available |
Chapter 5: The Affiliate Engine: A Blueprint for Unregulated Expansion
While high-profile sponsorships provide the betting operator with a veneer of legitimacy, the engine of its explosive and resilient global growth is a far less visible but vastly more powerful mechanism: the affiliate program.
This decentralized, franchise-like model is key to understanding how a “ghost” corporation, officially banned in many major countries, can reportedly command a tangible presence in over 60 nations and attract more than three million daily players.37
The affiliate program appears to be a sophisticated marketing system that transforms the company from a single, vulnerable entity into a distributed, viral network, making it challenging for traditional regulatory action to address effectively.
Dissecting the Affiliate Program
Program Structure and Scale
Based on the company’s own affiliate marketing website, the program appears designed for maximum appeal and minimum friction.
It claims to be a massive operation, reportedly boasting over 100,000 affiliates spread across 62 countries.38 The proposition it offers appears notably attractive:
High Commission Structure: The program’s cornerstone is reportedly its Revenue Share model, which allegedly offers affiliates lifetime commissions of up to 40% of net revenue generated by referred customers.38 This “lifetime” promise reportedly guarantees a stable, long-term income stream, creating strong incentives for partners to both acquire and retain customers.
Minimal Entry Requirements: The betting operator reportedly makes it exceptionally easy to join the network. It provides a simple registration process, ready-to-use promotional materials, and personal management support for new affiliates.38
This approach removes significant barriers normally associated with marketing partnerships, allowing almost anyone with an online platform—website, blog, social media channel, or forum—to become a promoter.23
Operational Flexibility: The program allegedly offers fast, weekly automatic payouts with low minimum withdrawal limits, accessible through over 200 payment options, including cryptocurrencies.38 This payment structure appears designed to reinforce the program’s reliability and appeal to potential partners.
Strategic Business Model Analysis
This affiliate model is a brilliant, if nefarious, business strategy perfectly tailored to a company that operates on the fringes of legality.
Risk Distribution: The model appears to effectively outsource significant legal and regulatory risks. By shifting responsibility for local marketing and customer acquisition to thousands of independent affiliates, the core company reportedly insulates itself from direct liability.
If an affiliate uses questionable marketing tactics or violates local laws, it is typically that individual or small business that faces immediate consequences, not the central organization.
Distributed Growth Strategy: The program creates what appears to be a self-perpetuating growth mechanism. Each of the reportedly 100,000+ partners acts as a motivated, commission-driven promoter for the brand.
This helps explain how the betting operator can be officially banned in major markets like the UK, France, and Russia, yet reportedly maintain a substantial global user base.5 The company doesn’t need formal corporate presence in new countries; it can activate local affiliates who build markets from the ground up.
Targeting Developing Markets: This model appears particularly suited for the operator’s strategic focus on Africa, South America, and Asia—regions often characterized by developing regulatory frameworks for online gambling.5
It allows the company to leverage local knowledge, languages, and cultural understanding through affiliates without the cost and legal exposure of establishing official subsidiaries. User testimonials suggest this approach has been effective; users from target markets like Nigeria have described positive experiences, indicating successful market penetration through the affiliate model.13
To further establish presence in key growth regions, the betting operator complements its affiliate network by partnering with local celebrities. Signing deals with influential figures like Congolese musician Maître Gims and Lethwei world champion Dave Leduc in Myanmar helps build local trust and brand recognition, making affiliate efforts more effective.5
This structure helps explain the operator’s dual identity as both a regulatory pariah and global gambling presence. It operates as a distributed organization.
When a regulator in a well-governed jurisdiction restricts operations—as the UK Gambling Commission did in 2019—it reportedly has limited effect on the larger network.5 The operation continues to function through thousands of other nodes, creating a resilient distributed network that traditional enforcement methods struggle to address comprehensively.
The Verdict: Sport’s Soul for Sale - And We Have the Receipts
From fake sports farms to Barcelona’s €60 million partnership - this is how modern sport prioritized revenue over integrity
This investigation isn’t just about one controversial company. It reveals how the entire sports industry appears to have developed concerning relationships with questionable operators, with Barcelona and PSG as notable examples of prioritizing financial considerations over due diligence.
WHAT WE’VE DOCUMENTED:
• 500,000 alleged fake games annually produced in concerning locations including children’s schools
• $655+ million operation allegedly run by individuals with international arrest warrants
• FC Barcelona and PSG partnerships totaling millions despite concerning evidence
• Regulatory challenges across multiple continents
• Systemic due diligence failures at sport’s highest levels
This investigation reveals a concerning dynamic within modern sport—where financial considerations appear to override integrity concerns, potentially compromising sport’s most sacred institutions.
The findings of this report paint a comprehensive and concerning picture. The betting operator allegedly operates a global, industrial-scale network for producing proprietary betting content, using hidden “sports farms” in questionable locations including children’s schools and car parks.
This operation appears protected by an elusive “ghost” corporate structure—a complex labyrinth of shell companies, flags of convenience, and strategic bankruptcies that reportedly make the company difficult to hold accountable.
This model represents the apparent endpoint of a concerning track record, from allegedly promoting inappropriate content and betting on children’s sports to intellectual property disputes and customer payment controversies.
Most concerning, this enterprise appears not merely tolerated but actively legitimized by institutions that should be guardians of sport’s integrity.
A concerning relationship has reportedly formed, in which financially desperate but globally revered sports clubs and federations appear to trade their invaluable legitimacy to the betting operator in exchange for cash.
They become partners in legitimizing a controversial operator’s reputation, issuing positive press releases while declining to comment on substantial evidence of concerning practices.
The entire operation appears fueled by a sophisticated, decentralized affiliate program that allows the distributed corporation to penetrate developing markets globally, outsourcing risk and creating a resilient network that traditional regulatory approaches struggle to address.
The System Has Failed - But We Can Fix It
Regulatory and Industry Reform Needed
The 1xBet scandal proves our regulatory systems are obsolete. This “ghost” corporation operates in the seams of international law, outmaneuvering every jurisdiction while sport’s most cherished institutions become accomplices in their own corruption.
THE CONCERNING REALITY: Sport increasingly appears to serve as content for a trillion-dollar gambling machine built on manufactured games and questionable partnerships.
🚨 WHAT MUST HAPPEN NOW
This should not represent sport’s future. These revelations should catalyze immediate, meaningful reform:
⚖️ REGULATORS: Stop playing jurisdictional whack-a-mole
• International collaboration to close legal loopholes
• New frameworks to hold ultimate beneficiaries accountable
• Real penalties that cost more than the crime profits
🏆 SPORTS GOVERNING BODIES: Enforce real standards or face the consequences • Mandatory due diligence for ALL commercial partners • Severe penalties including points deductions and competition expulsion • Zero tolerance for partnerships with criminal entities
👥 FANS: You hold the ultimate power
• Demand accountability from your clubs
• Boycott matches and merchandise until partnerships end
• Share this investigation - silence enables corruption
The Choice That Defines Sport’s Future
Will sport remain a vehicle for human excellence and shared passion?
Or will it devolve into manufactured content for controversial gambling operations?.35
The concerns raised by this investigation affect every stadium, every jersey, every match. Only transparency, accountability, and regulatory reform can address these issues before they further compromise sport’s integrity.
The evidence raises serious concerns. The choice for reform is ours.
DISCLAIMER: This investigation presents findings from public sources and investigative reporting. All allegations regarding criminal activity are based on reported investigations and should be considered unproven unless confirmed by courts of law. The betting operator referenced maintains operations in multiple jurisdictions and disputes various allegations made against it.