But while ToonieBet has gained a foothold in Ontario\u2019s regulated market, its parent company Soft2bet is linked to unlicensed sites also targeting Canadians. Some of those sites have already run afoul of European regulators.<\/p>\n
An investigation by the Star, in partnership with Investigate Europe and media in 14 other countries<\/a>, has found Soft2bet and associated companies have raked in nearly $1 billion from a global network of casino websites, many registered offshore, that have been fined or blacklisted in other jurisdictions for operating without a licence.<\/p>\n The unlicensed casinos connected to an Ontario licensee<\/p>\n Betting sites are often not allowed to operate without permission from local authorities. In the tough-to-regulate world of online gambling, many do so anyway.<\/p>\n OnlySpins, a Soft2bet-linked betting website, features sexualized images of women and does not verify that users are of age.<\/p>\n OnlySpins.com<\/p>\n At OnlySpins.com<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 a Soft2bet-linked sex-themed gambling site that is unlicensed in Ontario, does not verify users\u2019 age and is blacklisted by regulators in Poland, Italy and Greece \u2014 a Star reporter easily set up an account under a fake name and Toronto address. At that site and two others where the Star placed bets, customer support agents told a reporter posing as an addicted gambler that they\u2019d lose their winnings if they closed their accounts, apparently in violation of Ontario guidelines<\/a> meant to protect vulnerable bettors.<\/p>\n The sites, which allowed users to set their language to Canadian English and transact in Canadian dollars, also did not verify the reporter\u2019s identity as required by Ontario rules, which means they are open to underage users and gambling addicts who have self-excluded from the province\u2019s other online and in-person casinos.\u00a0<\/p>\n When Ontario rolled out its online gambling market<\/a> in 2022, licensing was a key component to protect bettors, the government said. Unlicensed grey market betting sites often expose consumers to a greater risk of harm, with practices that can exacerbate addiction or facilitate criminal activity like money laundering and match fixing.<\/p>\n The licensed market<\/a> has exploded. In 2024-25, 2.6 million accounts wagered $82.7 billion, adding $2.9 billion in revenue to government coffers. Ontario has so far granted licences to over 80 gambling sites.<\/p>\n As the province\u2019s gambling regulator renewed ToonieBet\u2019s license in March 2026, it had already been reported by Investigate Europe<\/a> that parent company Soft2bet and its affiliated unlicensed sites were running afoul of international regulators, raising new questions about whether the Ford government has sufficiently vetted entrants to the province\u2019s online gambling market.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
The province announced on Aug. 1 that it has selected a vendor to build a centralized self-exclusion system.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
The province announced on Aug. 1 that it has selected a vendor to build a centralized self-exclusion system.<\/p>\n Ontario\u2019s responsible gaming standards ban registered gambling companies from operating unlicensed sites in the province.<\/p>\n Subsidiary ToonieBet<\/a>, which is registered in Ontario under a Malta-based Soft2bet company named Canadix Limited, is not accused of wrongdoing or of running unlicensed gambling sites.<\/p>\n Why Ontario renewed the license after red flags<\/p>\n In response to questions from the Star and its reporting partners, Ontario\u2019s Alcohol and Gaming Commission said it has opened an investigation.<\/p>\n \u201cAt the time of registration, the operator and its related entities held licences in good standing in other regulated jurisdictions,\u201d the commission said in a statement. \u201cWe take the matters raised very seriously. In response, the AGCO\u2019s Financial Investigations Unit and Licensing and Registration Branch are reviewing the issues and allegations identified in the reporting.\u201d<\/p>\n The Star and its partners linked Soft2bet and its associated companies to the blacklisted gambling sites using a leaked internal list of casino properties, which reporters verified using corporate records, trademarks, IP address data and other public information, such as industry press releases published in the past several years. The reporters also confirmed some information about Soft2bet\u2019s corporate structure by viewing copies of leaked messages from internal chat platforms, and by speaking to six former employees.<\/p>\n The reporters detailed the findings, including a list of the blacklisted sites, to Soft2bet, which denied wrongdoing in a short response that did not address the specific allegations. \u201cInformation within your request reflects an incorrect and misleading interpretation of our business and corporate structure,\u201d Soft2bet said.<\/p>\n \u201cOur focus is on operating responsibly and in accordance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements. We maintain robust compliance and governance processes and engage constructively with the relevant authorities where appropriate.\u201d<\/p>\n A former customer agent at a Soft2bet company, who worked with Canadian customers, alleged some of the casinos\u2019 practices were \u201cpredatory.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf a player were to approach me to say that they have a gambling problem, I would just tell them to send an email to explain their situation. If they still wanted to close their account, I would offer them a bonus,\u201d said the former customer agent, who spoke to reporters on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal from their former employer. \u201cThe goal is to try and get them to stay on the platform and not shut down their account.\u201d<\/p>\n Since Investigate Europe published its reporting on Soft2bet<\/a> in spring 2025, the company has launched new betting sites in several countries and secured new sports sponsorships.<\/p>\n The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) did not answer when asked why, despite publicity about concern among international regulators, it renewed subsidiary ToonieBet\u2019s licence in 2026.<\/p>\n Earlier this year, Alberta\u2019s gambling regulator approved ToonieBet for launch when the province\u2019s online casino market opens this month. Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis would not directly answer questions about its approval, but said in general that it will review all relevant information, including from other jurisdictions, about operators approved to set up shop in the province.<\/p>\n ToonieBet has also inked deals with Rock League curling, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Ottawa Redblacks, and the Oshawa Firewolves professional lacrosse team.<\/p>\n The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have a new a partnership with Tooniebet.<\/p>\n Soft2bet\/YouTube<\/p>\n None of the Canadian sports teams and leagues who have partnered with ToonieBet would say whether they were aware of its parent company\u2019s run-ins with international regulators, as detailed in the 2025 Investigate Europe article.<\/p>\n The Canadian Football League, which announced a \u201cmulti-year partnership\u201d with ToonieBet last summer, said the site is part of its authorized gaming operator program, which includes only licensed companies. The league also said that it does not currently have a marketing deal with ToonieBet, but would not give more details.<\/p>\n \u201cThe league\u2019s confidence in any partnership under the (authorized gaming operator) program is grounded in the provincial authority\u2019s regulatory oversight and the partner\u2019s adherence to the province\u2019s strict compliance framework,\u201d the CFL said.<\/p>\n Tiger-Cats spokesperson Courtney Stephen said the team only partners with provincially-licensed gambling companies.<\/p>\n The Ottawa Senators said ToonieBet had a sponsorship agreement with the team during the latter half of the 2024-25 season, that the team only partners with licensed operators, and that all sports wagering agreements must also be approved by the National Hockey League<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Curling Group, which runs Rock League, said it had a \u201cone-event partnership\u201d with ToonieBet and \u201cno direct relationship\u201d with the site\u2019s parent company. The Oshawa Firewolves declined to comment. The Ottawa Redblacks did not respond to questions from the Star by deadline.<\/p>\n From Cyprus to Canada: Soft2bet\u2019s global operation<\/p>\n Soft2bet was founded in 2016 by Ukrainian-Israeli businessman Uri Poliavich.<\/p>\n Uri Poliavich founded Soft2bet in 2016. The company now claims to have 10 million users for its software and runs several licensed betting websites, including ToonieBet.<\/p>\n YouTube<\/p>\n The company, headquartered in Cyprus and Malta, supplies back-end online gambling technology that it says is used by 10 million players worldwide. It also owns licensed online casino and sports-betting brands in Romania, Sweden, Denmark, Mexico and Greece, and has a partnership with the manager of Spanish soccer team Atletico Madrid. The company collected $245 million in profits in 2024.<\/p>\n Soft2bet also appears to have benefited from a network of unlicensed betting websites. For years, it quietly operated the offshore sites through two shell companies registered in Cura\u00e7ao, a Caribbean country known for cheap gambling licences<\/a> with minimal oversight, Investigate Europe reported in 2025.<\/p>\n Soft2bet also processed payments through two subsidiaries registered in the Mediterranean island country of Cyprus, according to thousands of pages of account statements obtained by Investigate Europe for this investigation. Data analysis by Investigate Europe and German news outlet Bayerischer Rundfunk shows that from May 2020 to May 2024, about $969 million flowed from the two Cypriot companies to Soft2bet and its related entities.<\/p>\n Leaked screenshots of internal files shared with reporters show that Soft2bet and its casino development arm, Brainrocket, had a portfolio of more than 150 casino brands as of 2025, many registered in offshore jurisdictions. Some appeared to be controlled by Soft2bet itself, while the company seemed to be managing others on behalf of customers using its software.<\/p>\n More than 140 of those online brands have been blacklisted in at least one European country, the investigation found.<\/p>\n In Spain, casinos linked to Soft2bet have been fined $24 million for illegal gambling.<\/p>\n The Curacao- and Cyprus-based firms were declared bankrupt in 2023 and 2024 after players successfully sued them in Germany and Austria.<\/p>\n How customer agents allegedly kept addicted gamblers hooked<\/p>\n The portfolio of Soft2bet-linked casinos, as revealed in the leaked screenshots, includes the cat-themed Cazimbo and the slickly stylized Mafia Casino. The list also includes OnlySpins, whose name seems to echo that of adult content site OnlyFans. The site shows sexualized images and avatars of women, allowing users to play games to earn explicit photos and videos.<\/p>\n When trying to deposit funds on Onlyspins via bank transfer from Germany, Investigate Europe was directed to an account held by a British Columbia-based shell company at an electronic payment firm registered in Malta, with the same address as Soft2bet\u2019s office in that Mediterranean country and whose director is the group\u2019s chief financial officer. The Maltese firm is owned by a holding company whose sole shareholder is Soft2bet founder Uri Poliavich.<\/p>\n A Star reporter deposited money and placed bets with Onlyspins, Cazimbo and Mafia Casino over the course of a few weeks this spring. When the reporter emailed customer support agents, citing a gambling addiction and requesting they return the money and close the accounts, the agents said they could deactivate them \u2014 but that \u201cany balance in your game account will be voided during the process.\u201d<\/p>\n Internal messages shared with Investigate Europe show staff discussing the launch of Onlyspins, and offshore licenses seemingly being issued for other websites.<\/p>\n Joanna Poupaki\/Spoovio\/Investigate Europe<\/p>\n Ontario\u2019s responsible gambling rules mandate that online casino and sportsbetting sites return the balance of the account to the player if they choose to deactivate. The reporter did not deactivate the accounts, and the websites eventually sent the funds.<\/p>\n Three former staff members of Soft2bet companies said casino accounts belonging to users who had asked them to be closed due to gambling issues would often be reopened without consent. When users asked to close their accounts, customer agents would delay and offer bonuses to keep them hooked. They would also delay players seeking to withdraw their winnings, the former staff said.<\/p>\n One of them, the former customer agent at a Soft2bet company, often spoke to Canadian customers in phone calls and over WhatsApp and other messaging apps. They would earn less in bonuses if they allowed customers to leave the casino sites, the staffer said.<\/p>\n The Star, simplified<\/p>\n Breaking news, interactive polls, video, and voice The former employee recalled a player saying they\u2019d lost a lot of money and were considering harming themselves.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve seen instances where players were like, \u2018I\u2019ve been trying to withdraw for two weeks. My rent is due.\u2019 Or, you know, \u2018I don\u2019t have any more money,\u201d the former employee said.<\/p>\n \u201cOur job was just to apologize basically for the delay \u2026 I\u2019ve had instances where it\u2019s been more than a month someone was waiting for their money. Even if it\u2019s a little, like 100, they would still delay it.\u201d<\/p>\n Reporters also spoke to eight bettors who said they either lost significant sums on Soft2bet platforms, or had trouble accessing their winnings.<\/p>\n An Ontario-based former customer of ToonieBet said the company would not allow him to withdraw thousands of dollars of winnings. Though he said he tried to get his money back repeatedly over the course of several weeks, ToonieBet did not send it to him until he made legal threats.<\/p>\n Ontario sees surge in problem gambling calls<\/p>\n Ontario has already faced criticism over the opening of its online gambling market, which allows customers to gamble any time and from anywhere. In 2024, when ToonieBet got its license, calls to the province\u2019s problem gambling helpline had been surging, leading to appeals for stricter regulations and more protections for problem gamblers. Until this spring, Ontario had allowed the gambling websites to be in charge of self-exclusion \u2014 a process that allows bettors to voluntarily ban themselves and opt out of advertising \u2014 leaving problem gamblers to fend for themselves amid an onslaught of marketing and aggressive promotion.<\/p>\n The former ToonieBet player told the Star he researched the site himself, and found online customer reviews alleging it was connected to unlicensed casinos.<\/p>\n He didn\u2019t question why regulators in Ontario allowed the company to operate here, he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI think they turn a blind eye on everything.\u201d<\/p>\n Soft2bet Files<\/p>\n This investigation is part of a series on the gambling industry, launched in March 2025<\/a> by Investigate Europe. Media partners for this story include Bayerischer Rundfunk, Ciren, France 2, Franceinfo.fr, Il Fatto Quotidiano, The Irish Times, Partizan, Profil, Publico.es<\/a>, Publico.pt, Reporters United, Le Soir, Shomrim, Svenska Dagbladet, Times of Malta and The Toronto Star.<\/p>\n Maxence Peign\u00e9 is a French journalist based in London, for the cross-border co-operative Investigate Europe. He has investigated multinationals such as care home leader Orpea and oil giant Perenco. His research revealed financial wrongdoing that led to official probes into corruption and money laundering. He has also worked for France T\u00e9l\u00e9vision, Radio France and the BBC World Service.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"ToonieBet seemed like a success story borne from Ontario\u2019s brand new online betting market. Within a year of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":793541,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194291],"tags":[49,48,3302],"class_list":["post-793540","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-toronto","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-toronto"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/793540","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=793540"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/793540\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/793541"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=793540"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=793540"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=793540"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/p>\n
\n
\n <\/a><\/p>\n
\n
\n <\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\nnotes. Star stories you\u2019ll want to share, delivered where you\u2019re
\nalready chatting. Follow the Star on WhatsApp<\/a>.<\/p>\n