Entain has publicly criticised Easygo’s Stake operation over its base in Curaçao, escalating an ongoing war of words between the two gambling companies.
The small Caribbean island nation has attracted unusual mainstream attention recently following its surprising performances at the 2026 World Cup, but the gambling industry has long been familiar with its significance.
Curaçao has become a major hub for online gambling operators and suppliers, largely due to its attractive tax environment and relatively flexible regulatory framework.
The jurisdiction offers a 0% tax on gross gaming revenue, with operators instead paying a 2% corporate income tax on net profits, making it a popular choice for internationally active .com brands.
However, this has drawn persistent criticism around unlicensed activity, particularly from regulators and licensed operators in European markets where consumer protections are far stricter.
Stake is far from alone in facing such scrutiny, with companies including Roobet, Duelbits, Santeda International and BC.GAME all operating from Curaçao and facing similar accusations of unlicensed activity worldwide.
Entain’s General Counsel, Simon Zinger, delivered the sharpest line of the dispute with the pointed remark: “The real question for Stake in this World Cup is whether it is backing Australia or Curaçao.”
Entain, an LSE-listed FTSE 100 company, has been actively lobbying multiple UK bodies including the Independent Football Regulator, the Intellectual Property Office and the Gambling Commission to tackle the growth of unlicensed operators.
The company has also described Kick, the live video streaming platform owned by Easygo, as a “central hub of the illegal gambling influencer ecosystem” following its own internal research into the sector.
Entain further identified Stake as one of three primary sites it believes are illegally advertising to a UK audience, a claim that significantly raises the stakes of this public dispute.
Stake does not currently hold a UK gambling licence, having surrendered it in early 2025 following regulatory pressure, and it also holds no licence across any Australian jurisdiction.
Despite the mounting criticism from one of the industry’s biggest licensed operators, Stake appears to have dismissed Entain’s latest remarks as unnecessary interference rather than legitimate regulatory concern.
The question of which national team Stake supports during the World Cup may be pointed, but it remains far less serious than the broader allegations Entain has levelled about unlicensed market activity.
Entain’s research and lobbying efforts suggest the company intends to keep pressure on Curaçao-based operators, positioning licensed and regulated gambling as the clear alternative for consumers and regulators alike.
