The alliance between SoftSwiss and the notorious 1xBet is more than just an industry scandal—it’s a glaring example of how regulatory loopholes and corporate manipulation thrive in plain sight. SoftSwiss, once touted as a “neutral software provider,” has shed its camouflage, revealing a deep and disturbing connection to some of the most high-risk, unregulated gambling networks in the world.
The Myth of Neutrality: SoftSwiss’ True Identity Exposed
For years, SoftSwiss maintained a clean image, marketing itself as a mere software supplier to the iGaming world. The company’s pitch was simple: we provide the technology; the operators handle the business. But recent investigative reports, most notably the SoftSwiss Papers, reveal a much darker reality.
SoftSwiss has long been entangled in a complex web of gambling operations, including ownership links to Direx N.V. (now DAMA N.V.), a company initially formed as SoftSwiss N.V. This is not a case of strategic partnerships but rather a fundamental structural overlap. SoftSwiss’ Chief Compliance Officer, Maksim Trafimovich, was deeply involved in the liquidation of the original entity, a move that should send alarms across the industry. A software provider that also plays a direct role in gambling operations? That’s not neutrality; it’s manipulation at the highest level.
The Smoking Gun: Legal Documents Expose Unholy Alliance
The 2025 WIPO filing is a bombshell. In an international intellectual property dispute, SoftSwiss, Hollycorn N.V., and CoinsPaid, all of which operate under the same umbrella, admitted to being a single, unified group. This admission directly contradicts years of public claims from SoftSwiss that it operates independently from the gambling operators it serves.
The reality? These companies are not separate entities—they are part of a vertically integrated, shadowy network that is designed to evade regulations, obscure ownership, and shift vast amounts of money without oversight. And they are getting away with it.
1xBet: A Partner with a Record of Fraud and Evasion
If SoftSwiss were merely a neutral party, its association with 1xBet would be a matter of business strategy. But it’s not. 1xBet has been banned or restricted in numerous jurisdictions, repeatedly accused of fraud, non-payment of winnings, and regulatory evasion. The company’s founders are wanted by international law enforcement.
By integrating with 1xBet-linked brands like Orakum N.V., which operates 1xSlots and Megapari, SoftSwiss isn’t just “partnering” with a high-risk operator; it’s fully embracing one. This is no longer an isolated incident—it’s an ongoing, deliberate strategy to integrate with one of the most controversial gambling operations in the world. This isn’t a coincidence. It’s a dangerous pattern.
PantherBet: Localized Legitimacy or a Thinly Veiled Front?
The recent collaboration between SoftSwiss and PantherBet in South Africa only underscores the issue. On the surface, PantherBet appears as a regional, legitimate platform. But scratch the surface, and it’s clear that it operates as just another front for offshore gambling activities, a model that has been repeatedly used to exploit regulatory gaps in countries with lax enforcement.
South Africa, in particular, has become a hotbed for international gambling syndicates looking to escape scrutiny. The branding of PantherBet as a regional entity is a calculated move—one designed to provide the illusion of legitimacy while operating in the shadows.
A Vertically Integrated Risk Machine
When you piece together the facts, the picture that emerges is not of a series of unfortunate incidents but of a well-oiled machine designed to bypass regulations at every turn:
-
Platform: SoftSwiss
-
Operators: DAMA N.V., Hollycorn N.V., Orakum N.V.-linked brands
-
Payments: CoinsPaid and crypto payment channels
This ecosystem has been optimized for one thing: survival. It allows for transaction laundering, rapid brand rotation to avoid detection, and jurisdiction-hopping to stay one step ahead of regulators. The ownership structure is deliberately obscured to make it difficult for authorities to trace the flow of funds or enforce accountability.
The Consumer Danger: A Wild West for Players
For players, this is a nightmare scenario. Engaging with platforms powered by this system means exposing yourself to a host of dangers:
-
No reliable player protection
-
No enforceable dispute resolution
-
A high probability of non-payment
-
Exposure to financial fraud and data misuse
Once your funds enter these systems, there’s no way to ensure they’ll ever leave—let alone be returned in case of a dispute.
A Global Regulatory Failure
The most alarming aspect of this entire situation is not just corporate misconduct—it’s the complete failure of global regulators. Despite court rulings, sanctions, and clear evidence of SoftSwiss’ integration with 1xBet-linked operations, the ecosystem continues to thrive. This raises serious questions about the effectiveness of gambling regulation in an increasingly globalized market.
The question that regulators, payment networks, and financial institutions must now ask themselves is this: why is this network still operating despite overwhelming evidence of wrongdoing? The answer is simple: because nobody is doing enough to stop it.
The Final Warning
This isn’t just an isolated scandal. It’s a case study in how modern organized crime can integrate itself into the legitimate global economy, hiding in plain sight. Any business, be it a bank, payment processor, affiliate, or investor, that encounters SoftSwiss-linked infrastructure or 1xBet-associated brands should treat them as high-risk, full stop.
The SoftSwiss-1xBet nexus is not just a warning—it’s a glaring red flag. And it’s time for the industry to confront the truth: crime doesn’t hide in the shadows anymore—it integrates into the very systems we trust.
