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Social media influencers steer millions of Europeans to unlicensed gambling websites
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Credit: Joanna Poupaki/Spoovio
High-profile YouTube and Twitch personalities are profiting from promoting dozens of blacklisted betting platforms on their channels.
Viral content creators are promoting unlicensed gambling websites to their legions of online followers across Europe and could be profiting significant sums in the process, it can be revealed.
An Investigate Europe investigation has found evidence that high-profile social media accounts are advertising unlicensed online casinos and virtual slot games on YouTube and Twitch, the wildly popular streaming platform owned by Amazon.
Unlicensed casinos do not offer the same consumer protections as legal operators, and can expose players to riskier gambling products. Regulators warn the sites could put gamblers and their deposited funds at risk.
Streaming has exploded in popularity in recent years, with millions of viewers watching daily vlogs and live gaming videos. It is a multi-billion euro business which can bring lucrative paydays and celebrity status for creators. But aside from the heavily signposted brand deals and endorsements, there is another revenue stream for Europe’s video makers: gambling promotions.
Investigate Europe has uncovered how streamers in at least seven European countries — from a chart-topping rapper in Greece to a Spanish lifestyle vlogger with more than two million followers — are directing their followers to dozens of gambling sites not licensed in Europe.
Evidence obtained by Investigate Europe shows that streamers could be directly profiting from their followers’ gambling losses. Insider whistleblower testimony backed up by financial documents, analysis of casino policies and web traffic data point to a little-known system that could see streamers make tens of thousands per year.
The investigation found that many of the sites being promoted ultimately connect back to one European company. Based between Malta and Cyprus, Soft2bet mainly provides software services to the online gambling industry. However, last year Investigate Europe revealed that the company was linked to over 100 online casinos blacklisted by European regulators for lacking domestic licenses
An Investigate Europe investigation has found evidence that high-profile social media accounts are advertising unlicensed online casinos and virtual slot games on YouTube and Twitch, the wildly popular streaming platform owned by Amazon.
Unlicensed casinos do not offer the same consumer protections as legal operators, and can expose players to riskier gambling products. Regulators warn the sites could put gamblers and their deposited funds at risk.
Streaming has exploded in popularity in recent years, with millions of viewers watching daily vlogs and live gaming videos. It is a multi-billion euro business which can bring lucrative paydays and celebrity status for creators. But aside from the heavily signposted brand deals and endorsements, there is another revenue stream for Europe’s video makers: gambling promotions.
Investigate Europe has uncovered how streamers in at least seven European countries — from a chart-topping rapper in Greece to a Spanish lifestyle vlogger with more than two million followers — are directing their followers to dozens of gambling sites not licensed in Europe.
Evidence obtained by Investigate Europe shows that streamers could be directly profiting from their followers’ gambling losses. Insider whistleblower testimony backed up by financial documents, analysis of casino policies and web traffic data point to a little-known system that could see streamers make tens of thousands per year.
The investigation found that many of the sites being promoted ultimately connect back to one European company. Based between Malta and Cyprus, Soft2bet mainly provides software services to the online gambling industry. However, last year Investigate Europe revealed that the company was linked to over 100 online casinos blacklisted by European regulators for lacking domestic licenses
Snik, a Greek rapper and gambling streamer, livestreams his casino game on the Twitch platform.
TonyTubo, an Italian slots streamer with 400,000 YouTube followers, regularly promotes unlicensed websites.
Soft2bet did not reply to requests for comment. In response to Investigate Europe’s investigation last year, the company said the story was “baseless”, adding: “Our operations are conducted in full adherence to all applicable laws, regulations, and licensing conditions in every jurisdiction where we are authorized to operate.”
Hours after Investigate Europe contacted Twitch, the account of a Spanish streamer found to be advertising unlicensed online casinos was temporarily suspended. At the time of publication it was accessible again, although all videos had been deleted. YouTube said they had deleted a channel of an Italian streamer in response to the findings and had removed several videos from the same Spanish account.
Most European governments require gambling firms to hold a domestic licence to operate online, enabling authorities to oversee and tax an industry tainted by addiction and money laundering concerns. But illegal sites have boomed since Covid-19, with industry estimates suggesting they now account for around 70 per cent of the EU market.
These sites get amplified in part due to affiliate programmes. The schemes, common across the gambling industry, see brands partner with influencers to promote their products and in return the so-called affiliates get paid for the players they refer.
Hours after Investigate Europe contacted Twitch, the account of a Spanish streamer found to be advertising unlicensed online casinos was temporarily suspended. At the time of publication it was accessible again, although all videos had been deleted. YouTube said they had deleted a channel of an Italian streamer in response to the findings and had removed several videos from the same Spanish account.
Most European governments require gambling firms to hold a domestic licence to operate online, enabling authorities to oversee and tax an industry tainted by addiction and money laundering concerns. But illegal sites have boomed since Covid-19, with industry estimates suggesting they now account for around 70 per cent of the EU market.
These sites get amplified in part due to affiliate programmes. The schemes, common across the gambling industry, see brands partner with influencers to promote their products and in return the so-called affiliates get paid for the players they refer.
Investigate Europe has linked Soft2bet to over 100 online casinos blacklisted by European regulators.
A streamer contacted Investigate Europe following our 2025 investigation into unlicensed casinos to lift the veil on how firms utilise influencers to promote their sites. Greg, who asked to remain anonymous, spent years pushing Soft2bet-linked casinos via affiliate programmes.
He claims that streamers are responsible for driving huge volumes of traffic to gambling sites, including many unlicensed operations. “By live streaming for hours, they hammer people's brains with gambling content.”
Streamers earn money when an account is set up via their referral and typically take a cut from revenue shares – the money a website makes from a referred player.
The model is also laid out publicly by 247 Partners, an affiliate programme for brands linked to Soft2bet. “You can earn money based on the revenue share. That is, the revenue generated by the players you referred,” the website’s FAQs section reads.
Its website even features a tool for potential affiliates to estimate how much they might earn in the first month. A streamer could make €80 per Italian player referred, €120 from Norway or €64 if they are in Poland. Other websites advertising referral schemes that link back to Soft2bet claim that revenue share profits can be as high as 60 per cent for affiliate partners. Greg shared details of one agreement he had with an affiliate scheme, which showed he received a fixed amount of €100 for each player that signed up through his link, plus 40 per cent of all their losses afterwards.
Investigate Europe identified streamers from Italy, Portugal, Greece, Poland, Germany, Spain and Sweden pushing unlicensed sites to their subscribers. Many are based in Malta, Europe's gambling industry capital, which boasts strong tax incentives for content creators.
He claims that streamers are responsible for driving huge volumes of traffic to gambling sites, including many unlicensed operations. “By live streaming for hours, they hammer people's brains with gambling content.”
Streamers earn money when an account is set up via their referral and typically take a cut from revenue shares – the money a website makes from a referred player.
The model is also laid out publicly by 247 Partners, an affiliate programme for brands linked to Soft2bet. “You can earn money based on the revenue share. That is, the revenue generated by the players you referred,” the website’s FAQs section reads.
Its website even features a tool for potential affiliates to estimate how much they might earn in the first month. A streamer could make €80 per Italian player referred, €120 from Norway or €64 if they are in Poland. Other websites advertising referral schemes that link back to Soft2bet claim that revenue share profits can be as high as 60 per cent for affiliate partners. Greg shared details of one agreement he had with an affiliate scheme, which showed he received a fixed amount of €100 for each player that signed up through his link, plus 40 per cent of all their losses afterwards.
Investigate Europe identified streamers from Italy, Portugal, Greece, Poland, Germany, Spain and Sweden pushing unlicensed sites to their subscribers. Many are based in Malta, Europe's gambling industry capital, which boasts strong tax incentives for content creators.
“You register an account on each casino you have to push, then the casino will provide a real money balance, so we play with their money. Streamers are just good actors.”
— Greg, a streamer and gambling affiliate
Spanish influencer Roger Llobet, better known as Llobeti4, has 2.2 million followers across YouTube and Twitch. His subscribers watch him travel the world, try to match his friends with young women, and gamble on online slots. His videos regularly promote unlicensed casinos that trace back to Soft2bet, with links shared in comments and directly onscreen.
Another is Antonio Mercogliano, aka TonyTubo, an Italian slots streamer with 400,000 YouTube followers. Last year, 247Partners, an affiliate scheme linked to Soft2bet, tagged TonyTubo in an Instagram post with their staff at a gambling conference. Web traffic data suggests that his website sent users to unlicensed casinos linked to Soft2bet 10,000 times in December last year alone.
Greek rapper Snik, or Dimitris Giannoulis, has almost 600 million views for his music on YouTube. On his ‘SnikWins’ Twitch channel, which has 130,000 subscribers, he frequently promotes an unlicensed casino site blacklisted by authorities for lacking a local licence.
Unlike ordinary players, streamers incur little risk as affiliate partners. According to Greg, who shared invoices and internal conversations and screenshots from his own time as an affiliate, firms pay influencers to market their games. At any one time streamers can have thousands of viewers watching them gamble online. “You register an account on each casino you have to push, then the casino will provide a real money balance, so we play with their money,” Greg explains. “Streamers are just good actors.”
Another affiliate programme found online confirms this type of set-up exists. Its FAQ page says potential partners can play with “non-withdrawable playing funds”. It further explains: “These funds can be used for mini-games and sports betting to enhance your streaming content and engage your audience.”
Another is Antonio Mercogliano, aka TonyTubo, an Italian slots streamer with 400,000 YouTube followers. Last year, 247Partners, an affiliate scheme linked to Soft2bet, tagged TonyTubo in an Instagram post with their staff at a gambling conference. Web traffic data suggests that his website sent users to unlicensed casinos linked to Soft2bet 10,000 times in December last year alone.
Greek rapper Snik, or Dimitris Giannoulis, has almost 600 million views for his music on YouTube. On his ‘SnikWins’ Twitch channel, which has 130,000 subscribers, he frequently promotes an unlicensed casino site blacklisted by authorities for lacking a local licence.
Unlike ordinary players, streamers incur little risk as affiliate partners. According to Greg, who shared invoices and internal conversations and screenshots from his own time as an affiliate, firms pay influencers to market their games. At any one time streamers can have thousands of viewers watching them gamble online. “You register an account on each casino you have to push, then the casino will provide a real money balance, so we play with their money,” Greg explains. “Streamers are just good actors.”
Another affiliate programme found online confirms this type of set-up exists. Its FAQ page says potential partners can play with “non-withdrawable playing funds”. It further explains: “These funds can be used for mini-games and sports betting to enhance your streaming content and engage your audience.”
“Many young people will see themselves in streamers who create a community of trust and shared values.”
— Dr. Elvira Bolat, Bournemouth University
Such an arrangement is attractive to betting companies, eager to tap into the loyal, often young followings that content creators have built up.
“There is a wide range of vulnerable populations in streaming communities… [and] people who are lonely or neurodivergent,” says Dr. Elvira Bolat, Associate Digital Marketing professor at Bournemouth University in the UK. “Many young people will see themselves in streamers who create a community of trust and shared values.”
These parasocial relationships mean streamers such as Spike, an Italian Youtuber who livestreams as he plays casino and slot games, have engineered strong bonds with their viewers.
One of his followers recently thanked him in a YouTube comment for “keeping me company when I was in hospital”. Another said: "I must compliment you on how you entertain people. You give the impression of being present, not behind a screen.”
Spike, real name Karlo Carlini, routinely promotes unlicensed sites such as My Empire, Frumzi and Funbet across several channels. All are unregulated in Europe and link back to Soft2bet. His account was one of the few to have a detailed disclaimer, which said “It is the user’s responsibility to verify that the site is legal in their jurisdiction. Gambling is strictly prohibited for minors and can cause addiction.” YouTube said they had deleted his ‘SpikeSlot’ channel for violating its terms of service after being contacted by Investigate Europe. By the time of publication, Carlini was seemingly using another channel to stream his gambling.
“There is a wide range of vulnerable populations in streaming communities… [and] people who are lonely or neurodivergent,” says Dr. Elvira Bolat, Associate Digital Marketing professor at Bournemouth University in the UK. “Many young people will see themselves in streamers who create a community of trust and shared values.”
These parasocial relationships mean streamers such as Spike, an Italian Youtuber who livestreams as he plays casino and slot games, have engineered strong bonds with their viewers.
One of his followers recently thanked him in a YouTube comment for “keeping me company when I was in hospital”. Another said: "I must compliment you on how you entertain people. You give the impression of being present, not behind a screen.”
Spike, real name Karlo Carlini, routinely promotes unlicensed sites such as My Empire, Frumzi and Funbet across several channels. All are unregulated in Europe and link back to Soft2bet. His account was one of the few to have a detailed disclaimer, which said “It is the user’s responsibility to verify that the site is legal in their jurisdiction. Gambling is strictly prohibited for minors and can cause addiction.” YouTube said they had deleted his ‘SpikeSlot’ channel for violating its terms of service after being contacted by Investigate Europe. By the time of publication, Carlini was seemingly using another channel to stream his gambling.
Spike, real name Karlo Carlini, routinely promotes unlicensed sites on his YouTube channels.
Portuguese influencers Checka and Numeiro, who also promote unlicensed casinos, appear to have little regard for the possible negative impact to their followers. “If you continue to spend money and destroy your life, it’s entirely your responsibility,” Checka said in a recent YouTube video alongside Numeiro. “It is a market opportunity for me, and it’s thanks to you that we can live this great life we live.” The pair live together in Dubai.
Numeiro, real name João Barbosa, has over 1.5 million social media followers. His videos show him shooting guns, flying in private jets and supporting the far-right Chega Party. Portugal’s gambling trade association filed a criminal complaint against Numeiro in 2023 for promoting illegal sites.
A company run by Carlini, meanwhile, has been sanctioned twice by Agcom, Italy’s internet regulator, for illegal gambling advertising. The first penalty, issued in 2022, was worth €700,000, and a second fine of €1.6 million was handed out in 2024. Both fines are being appealed and remain unpaid, according to the authority.
In a rare action directly targeting platforms, Agcom fined YouTube's owner Google €2.2 million and Amazon subsidiary Twitch €900,000 in December 2023 for knowingly hosting illegal gambling adverts on their platforms. Google was also fined two other times for similar breaches over content made by Karlo Carlini.
None of the streamers named in this story responded to requests for comment. 247 Partners also failed to reply by the time of publication.
Numeiro, real name João Barbosa, has over 1.5 million social media followers. His videos show him shooting guns, flying in private jets and supporting the far-right Chega Party. Portugal’s gambling trade association filed a criminal complaint against Numeiro in 2023 for promoting illegal sites.
A company run by Carlini, meanwhile, has been sanctioned twice by Agcom, Italy’s internet regulator, for illegal gambling advertising. The first penalty, issued in 2022, was worth €700,000, and a second fine of €1.6 million was handed out in 2024. Both fines are being appealed and remain unpaid, according to the authority.
In a rare action directly targeting platforms, Agcom fined YouTube's owner Google €2.2 million and Amazon subsidiary Twitch €900,000 in December 2023 for knowingly hosting illegal gambling adverts on their platforms. Google was also fined two other times for similar breaches over content made by Karlo Carlini.
None of the streamers named in this story responded to requests for comment. 247 Partners also failed to reply by the time of publication.
“The safety and wellbeing of our community is Twitch's highest priority, which is why we continue to take steps to reduce both prevalence and views of certain gambling content.”
— Twitch spokesperson
The European Commission took the findings “very seriously”, an official in the EU’s executive branch said, adding that unlicensed gambling promotions “may pose significant risks to consumers, including financial harm and the undermining of national regulatory frameworks”. Under the Digital Services Act, firms such as YouTube are obliged to tackle illegal content, and the Commission was “actively supervising compliance” with the legislation, the official said.
There is no evidence to suggest that all the streamers named in this article are aware that they were promoting unlicensed sites, nor that they have received any money from player losses.
A Twitch spokesperson said: “The safety and wellbeing of our community is Twitch's highest priority, which is why we continue to take steps to reduce both prevalence and views of certain gambling content. Twitch updated our gambling policy in 2021 to prohibit the streaming of certain sites that include slots, roulette, or dice games.”
A spokesperson for YouTube said: “Our policies prohibit content directing viewers to unapproved gambling websites or applications, which is why we've taken a number of actions on the channels flagged to us. Our teams work 24/7 to rigorously apply our policies, using a combination of machine learning and human review.”
For his part, Greg, the European streamer who once worked with Soft2bet, says he's now “completely disgusted” by the industry and wants out. “Gambling is a shitty world, because it can only end badly," he says. "With daily live streams, you need your “fix” more and more, just like with drugs. You can't understand it unless you start playing. I want to leave this world.”
There is no evidence to suggest that all the streamers named in this article are aware that they were promoting unlicensed sites, nor that they have received any money from player losses.
A Twitch spokesperson said: “The safety and wellbeing of our community is Twitch's highest priority, which is why we continue to take steps to reduce both prevalence and views of certain gambling content. Twitch updated our gambling policy in 2021 to prohibit the streaming of certain sites that include slots, roulette, or dice games.”
A spokesperson for YouTube said: “Our policies prohibit content directing viewers to unapproved gambling websites or applications, which is why we've taken a number of actions on the channels flagged to us. Our teams work 24/7 to rigorously apply our policies, using a combination of machine learning and human review.”
For his part, Greg, the European streamer who once worked with Soft2bet, says he's now “completely disgusted” by the industry and wants out. “Gambling is a shitty world, because it can only end badly," he says. "With daily live streams, you need your “fix” more and more, just like with drugs. You can't understand it unless you start playing. I want to leave this world.”
