Offshore Casinos Exploit Payment Networks to Evade Oversight
December 15, 2025
Recent investigations reveal how offshore casinos are increasingly manipulating payment service providers (PSPs) and corporate structures to obscure ownership, evade regulations, and continue operating in restricted markets.
Complex Corporate and Payment Structures
Major iGaming platforms such as SoftSwiss and 22Bet reportedly use Curaçao-registered entities, nominee directors, and intermediary PSPs to mask their activities. By funneling deposits through multiple processors with false merchant codes, operators can bypass banking scrutiny and regulatory oversight.
Casinos like Rolletto rotated PSPs and altered merchant descriptors to remain operational while staying under enforcement radar. Crypto-focused platforms like Roobet use dual-jurisdiction setups and opaque payment routing to continue serving restricted markets.
Key Tactics Observed
- Mislabeling transactions with false merchant codes
- Switching PSPs to avoid regulatory pressure
- Using shell entities as intermediaries for payments
- Operating through layered corporate webs to obscure ownership
- Leveraging crypto on-ramps to bypass financial oversight
Regulatory Response
Experts note that these tactics are part of a broader trend in which payment infrastructure is used to obscure illegal gambling operations. Regulatory agencies worldwide are now focusing on these payment networks as a key enforcement target, with prosecutors and attorneys general calling for stronger action against unlicensed operators.
