Revelations Emerge from Curaçao Files on UK Betting Companies and Offshore Networks

The Guardian published details in October 2026 about a 2022 agreement that connected Ladbrokes, operated by Entain, William Hill under Evoke ownership, and Betfred through their holdings in Sports Information Services, also known as SIS, with the Santeda offshore casino network. Files from the Curaçao gambling regulator formed the basis of this reporting, and those documents came from the Casino Secrets leak that exposed thousands of confidential records. Santeda maintained links to Curaçao-regulated sites that faced accusations of directing services toward UK gamblers, while the three major bookmakers held ownership stakes in SIS and received millions in dividends connected to the arrangement. Public statements from the firms had previously highlighted risks that tax increases might push customers toward unlicensed offshore operators, yet the SIS involvement produced financial returns tied directly to the Santeda relationship. Controls reportedly existed to keep the bookmakers from direct operational knowledge of the deal, and observers note that such structures often separate parent companies from subsidiary activities in regulated markets. The leak revealed internal communications and transaction records that traced payments flowing back to SIS shareholders during the period when the agreement remained active.

Background on the Ownership Structure

Ladbrokes, William Hill, and Betfred each maintained positions in SIS, a content provider that supplies data and services to betting operators across multiple jurisdictions. The 2022 transaction with Santeda generated revenue streams that translated into dividend distributions for those shareholders, and the amounts reached several million pounds according to the leaked materials. Those same materials showed how Santeda operated within the Curaçao regulatory framework while its affiliated platforms drew scrutiny for marketing practices aimed at British users. The Guardian report connected these elements without alleging that the UK firms violated domestic licensing rules, and it focused instead on the financial overlap that existed despite public warnings about offshore competition.

Details from the Leaked Curaçao Files

The Casino Secrets documents included contracts, payment ledgers, and correspondence that outlined the scope of the Santeda arrangement. Analysts reviewing the files found references to revenue-sharing terms that benefited SIS and, by extension, its owners during the 2022 calendar year. One section of the leak described how Santeda structured its operations to remain compliant with Curaçao oversight while expanding reach into markets where local rules restricted unlicensed gambling. The files did not indicate that Ladbrokes, William Hill, or Betfred exercised day-to-day control over Santeda activities, and the reported safeguards appeared designed to maintain that separation. Yet the dividend payments documented in the records created a direct financial link between the offshore network and the UK betting groups through their SIS stakes. The Guardian article presented these findings alongside statements from the companies that reiterated their support for strict domestic regulations to protect licensed markets.

Public Positions Versus Reported Outcomes

In recent years the three operators have issued statements cautioning that higher taxes on UK betting could shift player activity toward unregulated sites based outside British jurisdiction. The leaked files show that during the same timeframe their SIS holdings produced income connected to Santeda, which maintained ties to platforms accused of targeting the same UK audience. This overlap drew attention because the companies positioned themselves as advocates for measures that would limit offshore competition, while the financial records indicated indirect participation in revenue from those channels. The Guardian reporting stopped short of claiming the firms knowingly breached rules, and it instead highlighted the tension between stated policy positions and the documented dividend flows.

Regulatory Context in October 2026

As of October 2026 the Curaçao regulator continued to process disclosures stemming from the Casino Secrets release, and UK authorities monitored developments that could affect licensed operators. The story centered on a single set of transactions from 2022 rather than ongoing operations, and the companies maintained that existing compliance frameworks prevented knowledge of specific deals at the parent level. The reporting illustrated how content providers like SIS can create indirect pathways between regulated betting groups and offshore networks, even when direct involvement remains limited by corporate structures. Figures in the leaked files quantified the dividend amounts, though exact totals varied depending on the accounting periods examined in the documents.

Conclusion

The Guardian account of the 2022 Santeda arrangement through SIS ownership provides a factual record of financial connections that existed between major UK bookmakers and an offshore network linked to Curaçao-regulated sites. The leak supplied the primary evidence, and the reporting presented both the dividend outcomes and the companies' prior public statements on tax and competition issues. Those elements together form the core of the October 2026 coverage without extending to broader industry patterns or additional allegations.