Breaking: BR Investigation Uncovers Wirecard and SoftSwiss Ties in Illegal Gambling Schemes!

tamir
Tue, 17 Dec 2024 10:15:12 +0000
Illegal gambling, Illegal Payment Services, ticker, A.R. Merkeleon, Befree, Dama, Direx, Dzmitry Yaikau, Ivan Montik, Jan Marsalek, Maksim Trafimovich, N1 Interactive, Paata Gamgoneishvili, Pavel Kashuba, Roland Isaev, Softswiss, Wirecard

A deep-dive investigation by Bavarian broadcaster BR has exposed significant connections between the collapsed Wirecard and Berlin-based SoftSwiss, run by Belarussian national Ivan Montik. The report, part of BR's Gambling without Rules series, highlights SoftSwiss' extensive role in operating illegal online casinos targeting Germany.

A deep-dive investigation by Bavarian broadcaster BR has exposed significant connections between the collapsed Wirecard and Berlin-based SoftSwiss, run by Belarussian-born Ivan Montik. The report, part of BR’s Gambling without Rules series, highlights SoftSwiss’ extensive role in operating illegal online casinos targeting Germany. The findings, supported by FinTelegram’s earlier research and Australian regulator ACMA, paint a comprehensive picture of a highly sophisticated and concealed gambling network spanning Malta, Cyprus, Curaçao, and Germany.

Key Findings:

SoftSwiss Connections: BR identifies SoftSwiss, founded by Ivan Montik, as a critical player in illegal online gambling operations, with Berlin-based ties.

Wirecard Payments: SoftSwiss and its associated entity Direx N.V. (now Dama N.V.) allegedly processed over €61 million via Wirecard, one of its highest-turnover customers before Wirecard’s 2020 collapse.

Australian Regulator ACMA: Official letters confirm Ivan Montik and Maksim Trafimovich were the forces behind Direx N.V., which operated numerous illegal platforms.

Complex Ownership Structures: Transfers worth millions between N1 Interactive Ltd (Malta) and Dama N.V. (Curaçao) point to concealed ownership and tax avoidance strategies.

Jan Marsalek’s Role: Former Wirecard executive and Russian operative Jan Marsalek directly requested sales reports from SoftSwiss, deepening suspicions.

Short SoftSwiss Narrative:

According to the BR report, Ivan Montik, a German entrepreneur born in Belarus, currently lives in Berlin. A SoftSwiss office is apparently also located there. The SoftSwiss website (link) states that Stable Aggregator Limited (previously N1 Aggregator Limited) operates it with a license from the MGA in Malta.

The following Northdata graphic shows an interesting network around the Maltese SoftSwiss entity. In fact, the network is much larger and includes companies in Cyprus, Austria, Lithuania, and North and South America, which are mostly managed and held through nominees. The SoftSwiss network operates worldwide and is supported by the law firm Revera where Helen Mourashko, wife of SoftSwiss and CoinsPaid executive Pavel Kashuba, is the partner in charge.

BR’s latest investigation, Gambling without Rules, has brought to light shocking new details about the illegal gambling network connected to Ivan Montik’s SoftSwiss Group. BR’s findings, supported by FinTelegram’s months-long investigative research, demonstrate that the operations extend far beyond tax havens like Curaçao and Costa Rica, reaching into the heart of Berlin.

Read our Softswiss Report here.

The report reveals how SoftSwiss, through its former entity Direx N.V. (now Dama N.V.), has been operating illegal online casinos targeting German players. Notably, BR’s investigation uncovered financial transactions worth millions between N1 Interactive Ltd (Malta) and Dama N.V., suggesting deliberate attempts to obscure ownership and evade taxes. The Dutch regulator fined MGA-regulated N1 Interactive Ltd a record €12.640.000 in March 2023 for operating illegal gambling platforms.

Screenshot Ivan Montik website (Dez 17, 2024)

SoftSwiss‘s significant involvement with Wirecard, the disgraced German payment processor, is a critical revelation. Insolvency documents show that in 2018, SoftSwiss facilitated transactions worth approximately €61 million via Wirecard, making it one of Wirecard‘s top customers. Emails from former Wirecard COO Jan Marsalek indicate a deep collaboration; Marsalek personally requested financial reports from SoftSwiss in 2020, just before fleeing prosecution.

The Australian regulator ACMA further confirmed Ivan Montik and Maksim Trafimovich as the operators behind Direx N.V., reinforcing Montik’s role as the architect of this gambling empire. These findings also align with court documents from the British Virgin Islands that tie Montik and Pavel Kashuba to Cyprus-based Befree Ltd, another operator of illegal online casinos.

The central role of Ivan Montik in the SoftSwiss Group and in the founding of the crypto payment processor CoinsPaid is also outlined on his website (link).

Wirecard’s collapse in June 2020 appears to have triggered structural changes within Montik’s network. Direx N.V. was renamed Dama N.V. around this time, while SoftSwiss’ crypto payment processor Dream Finance OÜ d/b/a CoinsPaid emerged as a new entity for payment facilitation. Behind this is Austrian company A.R. Merkeleon GmbH, yet another link to Montik’s growing influence in the online gambling and crypto payments space.

The Russian Connections:

BR’s investigation sheds light on the critical role Wirecard played in facilitating illegal gambling operations via SoftSwiss. Emails show Jan Marsalek’s direct involvement, raising concerns about Russian intelligence’s influence in international payment networks. Wirecard‘s demise in 2020 coincides with major structural shifts, suggesting an effort to protect the gambling operations under scrutiny.

Marsalek, who has since been exposed as a former Russian spy and evaded prosecution by fleeing to Russia, personally requested sales reports from the Softswiss Group in 2020. Marsalek is allegedly still playing a role in the international high-risk payment segment from Russia. It is unknown whether and how his relationships with Softswiss and Ivan Montik are. In this context, Montik and his partner Kashuba sold a 60% stake in Cypriot Befree for €21 million in 2019 to the Russian entrepreneurs Roland Isaev and Paata Gamgoneishvili.

FinTelegram’s Contributions and Supporting Evidence:

FinTelegram’s previous research uncovered critical links between SoftSwiss, CoinsPaid, and illegal gambling platforms operated through Malta and Curaçao. FinTelegram has obtained the following:

A letter from ACMA confirming Montik and Trafimovich’s leadership behind Direx N.V. (Download ACMA letter here).

Court documents from the BVI revealing Montik and Kashuba as owners of Befree Ltd (Download Court document here).

Evidence connecting the emergence of CoinsPaid (established August 2019) with Montik’s attempts to consolidate control of crypto payment processing for gambling platforms.

Regulatory Failures and the Role of German Authorities:

Despite these extensive findings, German regulators like GGL (Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder) continue to face significant hurdles in curbing illegal gambling. Measures such as IP blocking and payment prohibitions are routinely bypassed by platforms operating overseas. GGL’s acknowledgment that SoftSwiss holds no license in Germany and has not applied for one underscores the lack of oversight and enforcement power.

Concluding Insights:

The BR investigation, in conjunction with FinTelegram’s earlier reports, provides a clear and alarming picture of a global network of illegal gambling operations. Ivan Montik’s SoftSwiss Group, with its complex web of companies spanning Germany, Malta, Cyprus, and Curaçao, remains central to these activities. The ties to Wirecard and the involvement of figures like Jan Marsalek amplify the need for urgent regulatory intervention.

Key Data SoftSwiss

Trading name | SoftSwiss
Business activity | iGaming software provider
Domain | https://www.softswiss.com

Legal entity

Stable Aggregator Ltd
(previously N1 Aggregator Ltd)

Authorization | MGA Malta with license number MGA/B2B/942/2022

Related entities

Stable Software Solutions Ltd
Stable Games Ltd
Befree Ltd
True Infrastructure Ltd
Primefuture Ltd
Bitcapital Ltd
Bambi Data Ltd
N1 Interactive Ltd

Related schemes

Direx, Dama, N1 Interactive, Rabidi, Hollycorn
Merkeleon (CoinsPaid, CryptoProssecing, AlphaPo)

Related individuals

Roland Isaev
Paata Gamgoneishvili
Ivan Montik
Dzmitry Yaikau
Maksim Trafimovich
Pavel Kashuba
Maryia Seksiayeva

Law firm | Revera (link)

Call for Information:

FinTelegram urges whistleblowers and insiders with further knowledge about SoftSwiss, CoinsPaid, or their associated entities to step forward. Submit tips securely through Whistle42.com to help us continue shedding light on this vast and opaque network.

Share Information with FinTelegram