MyStake parent moves black market brands to new licence

Summary

The group behind MyStake — identified by investigators as a major black-market operator used by British customers — has moved several brands (including Velobet, Donbet, Goldenbet and MyStake) from an entity called Santeda International B.V. to a company listed as GTW B.V. on site footers.

NEXT.io reports the GTW B.V entry corresponds to a Curaçao B2C licence that the regulator shows as granted in June and expired in December, but which may legally permit trading ahead of formal renewal under Curaçao law. The shift follows scrutiny from GAMRS and coverage in publications such as The Guardian, which highlighted large betting volumes and weak consumer safeguards across the network.

Key Points

The Santeda network’s brands have replaced Santeda International B.V. with GTW B.V in website footers, signalling a licence change.
The GTW B.V licence is recorded as granted in June and shown as expired in December; Curaçao law may allow continued trading while renewal processes occur.
Investigations by GAMRS and The Guardian flagged aggressive retention tactics, refusal to honour self-exclusion and marketing targeting self-excluded UK gamblers via “not-on-Gamstop” affiliates.
Reported betting volumes were large: roughly £1.2bn on MyStake and £3.51bn across the wider Santeda network in 2025 (per earlier reporting and GAMRS data).
Observers say shifting licences is a common black-market tactic to evade regulatory pressure and consumer redress; a Curaçao corporate services provider reportedly managed the move.

Why should I read this?

Because it shows how messy offshore operators keep slipping under the radar — swapping licences, keeping sites live and still aiming at UK punters (including people trying to self-exclude). If you care about compliance, player safety or payments, this is the kind of dirty trick worth knowing about — short, sharp and useful intel we pulled for you.

Context and relevance

This story sits at the crossroads of a few ongoing trends: regulators pushing back on unregulated offshore operators, growing scrutiny of how affiliates advertise to self-excluded customers, and industry pressure to tighten cross-border oversight. The allegations around MyStake and Santeda feed directly into debates on Gamstop circumvention, affiliate transparency and the role of Curaçao licences in enabling grey- or black-market operations.

Author’s take

Punchy and direct: this isn’t just corporate housekeeping — it’s a defensive manoeuvre by operators under heat. Regulators, payments teams and affiliate managers should pay attention: the mechanisms described here explain how problematic sites stay operational and why stronger cross-jurisdictional action is needed.