Stake and Entain are both back in the spotlight after a dispute between the two companies over where the former is domiciled.
Entain has been on a recent spate of calling out grey market operators in the UK, and has again turned to Stake regarding the Easygo-owned company’s domicile in the Caribbean island of Curaçao.
Easygo is an Australian founded and headquartered tech company, with its two main brands being the Stake online casino and Kick streaming platform. However, Stake is operated by Medium Rare N.V in Curaçao, a constituent country of the Netherlands.
The 150,000-person island nation has been thrust into mainstream media in the past few days following its achievements at the 2026 World Cup, having been little-known to many worldwide beforehand.
Why Curaçao is a familiar name for the gambling industry
However, the gambling industry will already be very familiar with Curaçao.
The island has become a hotspot for operators and suppliers alike due to its low gambling tax – the jurisdiction has a 0% tax on gross gaming revenue (GGR), with operators paying a 2% corporate income tax on net profits.
It has become a home for many .com brands active internationally, although this has led to criticism of unlicensed activity in various jurisdictions, particularly in Europe.
It is not just Stake that has been a recipient of this criticism. Companies including Roobet, Duelbits, Santeda International and BC.GAME – all of which operate from Curaçao – have been the subject of accusations of unlicensed activity around the world.
This time, Entain’s General Counsel, Simon Zinger, has taken aim at Easygo co-founders Ed Craven and Bijan Tehrani, as reported by Australian news outlet Herald Sun.
He said: “As the World Cup shines a spotlight on Curaçao, it should also raise questions about the gambling operators licensed there and the risks they pose to consumers and sporting integrity worldwide.
“The real question for Stake in this World Cup is whether it is backing Australia or Curaçao.”
Entain’s fight against the black market
Entain’s recent research into the growing presence of unlicensed operators has been eye-opening for many in the industry.
The LSE-listed FTSE 100 constituent has lobbied with many organisations in the UK, including the Independent Football Regulator (IFR), the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) and the Gambling Commission itself to curb this growth.
It also described Kick, the live video streaming service also owned by Easygo, as a ‘central hub of the illegal gambling influencer ecosystem’ following research, and identified Stake as one of three main sites illegally advertising to a UK audience.
Stake does not have a licence in the UK, having surrendered it in early 2025 after pressure, and it also doesn’t have one in any of Australia’s jurisdictions.
However, it seems the operator has dismissed this latest example of Entain criticism as unnecessary.
According to the Herald Sun, Stake responded: “Stake does not operate in or generate revenue in Australia. Easygo, the technology company behind Stake, is domiciled in Australia. employing more than 800 people and paying all relevant state and federal taxes here.
“Of course we support Curaçao, what an achievement for a comparatively tiny country to make it to the World Cup.
“This doesn’t mean we don’t support our Socceroos, but we want to acknowledge the Curaçao team for this tremendous feat.”
It also added: “It’s quintessentially Australian to support the underdog, something that Mr Zinger may not be aware of as a Canadian living in Gibraltar.”
In the past, Stake has been correctly penalised in several jurisdictions for its illegal activities.
It has also been fairly scrutinised by Entain following several pieces of research commissioned by the UK-headquartered company.
However, this statement about its lack of focus on Australia may come across as trivial in comparison to its more hard-hitting requests to UK regulators and its recent social media reports, given many licensed operators around the world do not operate from the countries in which their founders are from.
For example, the LeoVegas brand is based in Malta, as is Kindred Group. Meanwhile, UK-facing-and-licensed operators BetVictor and DAZN Bet are headquartered in Gibraltar.
EasyGo and Stake are no strangers to controversy. As mentioned, the online bookmaker was forced to exit the UK, and it has been subject to law enforcement investigations in the US.
However, Entain’s criticisms regarding its support for Australia – or lack thereof – pales in comparison to the much more serious criticism and allegations Entain has made about the illegal and unlicensed gambling markets lately.
