Image: Mystake on X
What is Mystake?
Mystake is an online casino and sportsbook brand that accepts crypto, run until recently through Santeda International B.V. of Curaçao. We rate it Poor: that is not because players uniformly report non-payment, since one complaints site rates it highly, but because investigators and authorities have reported serious problems with where it is marketed, who stands behind it and how its operating companies changed in 2026.
- Launched: 2019, according to AskGamblers.
- Operator (as stated): Santeda International B.V., Curaçao, per AskGamblers. Reporting in May 2026 says Santeda International B.V. and GTW B.V. were dissolved.
- Licence (as stated): Curaçao Gaming Authority, per AskGamblers. We could not open Mystake's own legal pages to read a licence number.
- Coins (AskGamblers listing, as of 9 November 2026): Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ripple, Dash, Tether, Binance, Dogecoin, USD Coin and TRON for deposits, with Monero also on the withdrawal list.
- KYC: verification is reported, and complaints about withdrawals held pending checks are common (see below).
- Games: casino and sports betting. Racing and esports content was licensed from Sports Information Services under a 2022 contract.
- Availability: the Curaçao licence does not cover the UK or US. Our request to the site returned a region-restricted page, so we could not read its terms.
- Our rating: Poor.
It sits in our crypto slots casinos, crypto live dealer casinos and crypto sportsbook lists and, because of our rating, in crypto casinos to be careful with. The wider crypto casinos section explains how we rate. Everything below comes from public sources we read; we did not play there.
Our rating: Poor
Poor on the weight of reporting: a Curaçao licence that does not cover the UK or US, reported UK targeting and blacklisting abroad, and operating companies reportedly dissolved in 2026, set against a good 9.2 player rating on AskGamblers.
We rate crypto casinos from public sources only: the licence and what it covers, who owns it, what players report about withdrawals and complaints, how clear its terms are and how long it has been trading. Last reviewed 9 November 2026. How we rate crypto casinos.
History and ownership
AskGamblers lists Mystake as launched in 2019 and operated by Santeda International B.V. Investigate Europe and The Guardian reported on 1 April 2026 that most of a group of sites including Mystake, Velobet and Goldenbet are reportedly operated by Santeda under a Curaçao licence, and that Santeda was formerly named Onyxion. They also reported that Onyxion Malta, owned by Tornike Tvauri, was fined €5 million in Spain in 2023 over unlicensed gambling. The investigation said it had not seen evidence that Tvauri or the software firm Upgaming directly owns or controls Santeda.
That investigation made further allegations. It said domain records link several of the sites' addresses to Upgaming or its chief executive, and that Upgaming allegedly registered an affiliate site that promotes Mystake and appears to target people registered with GAMSTOP. Upgaming, through its lawyers, denied wrongdoing and any ownership or operational link to the eight brands, said its work for Santeda was B2B only, and said any person could use its names without its knowledge. On 27 March 2026 Upgaming reportedly said it was severing ties with Santeda. Mystake and the other casinos did not respond to the reporters.
The same report said articles claiming Mystake had a Leeds United sponsorship and a Ronaldinho ambassador deal appeared to be fictitious. Leeds said it has no partnership with Mystake, and the brand's purported owner, named in those articles, could not be found online, with images of him assessed as highly likely to be AI-generated or manipulated.
In May 2026 NEXT.io and Parameter reported, citing an upcoming report from the research body GAMRS, that Santeda International B.V. and GTW B.V., the main legal vehicles for Mystake, DonBet, GoldenBet and Rolletto, had been formally dissolved in the preceding week. Parameter said the brands had moved from a Santeda licence to one connected with GTW in February 2025, while NEXT.io dated the move only to "February". The reports gave no response from the operators. As of 9 November 2026 we found no public statement saying who now runs Mystake.
Games and sportsbook
Mystake offers a casino and a sportsbook. Beyond that, the sources we could open say little about the lobby, because the site was region-restricted to our request and the review pages we read focus on complaints and corporate structure. We therefore do not name studios or game counts.
The one documented product detail is racing and esports content. A contract reviewed by The Guardian, dated 11 October 2022, licensed Sports Information Services racing channels and data to five Santeda-run sites. SIS took 18% of gross gambling revenue on racing and 13% on esports, and the contract did not allow SIS content to be used in the UK. SIS declined to say whether it had been terminated.
Deposits, withdrawals and KYC in practice
AskGamblers lists a long run of deposit coins and also Monero for withdrawals, as of 9 November 2026. We could not read Mystake's own limits, fees or processing times, so we do not give them.
The complaints that reach AskGamblers fall into a pattern. Withdrawals are blocked or delayed, often pending an investigation after verification. Accounts are restricted or closed with funds held, bank transfers are marked done but do not arrive, sports bet settlements are disputed and deposits are not credited. Payment issues are the biggest category at 66 of 98 complaints.
KYC is therefore part of the real experience: verification is requested and a hold can follow it. That is common across offshore sites, and it is a reason to verify your account before you need to withdraw, not a sign of wrongdoing by itself.
Licence and safety
Mystake's licence claim is Curaçao, and what matters is what it does not cover. The Guardian's reporting, relayed by Bitcoin.com News on 2 October 2026, states Santeda's Curaçao licence does not cover the UK or the US. In September 2026 the Curaçao Gaming Authority disclosed a hack of its own systems, after which journalists and a hacker released more than 40,000 documents, per Protos. Mystake is not named in that Protos article, so we do not link the hack to it.
The Casino Secrets leak is connected to Mystake through the SIS contract. Curaçao's regulator called the breach serious under Curaçao law in a statement of 22 September. A separate December 2025 report from GAMRS, covered by the Curaçao Chronicle, described a network under the MyStake brand that allegedly targeted UK consumers without authorisation, with key operational control exercised from outside the Caribbean. GAMRS did not accuse Curaçao authorities of direct involvement.
Authorities abroad are reported to have acted. Investigate Europe said Santeda has reportedly been blacklisted in Greece and Sweden, and that the UK Gambling Commission reportedly asked Google to remove five of the eight linked sites from results. These are reports of regulator action, not court findings about Mystake itself, and the operators did not comment.
Santeda's own filings, per the Guardian, include a September 2024 crypto risk policy requiring wallets to be screened, and Curaçao has since ordered crypto casinos to adopt such controls. We saw no proof of reserves or provably fair claims.
Bonuses and VIP
We could not read Mystake's current bonus terms, so we do not describe offers or VIP tiers. A welcome match or reload always carries wagering rules that decide what you can withdraw, and bonus terms are a frequent cause of disputes. We do not list codes.
Streamers who play on Mystake
We have no streamers on our roster linked to Mystake and found no sourced streamer sponsorship. The only celebrity ties reported in the sources we read, a Leeds United sponsorship and a Ronaldinho ambassador role, appear in articles that Investigate Europe described as seemingly fictitious, and Leeds denies a partnership. Treat any claim of football or celebrity backing for Mystake with scepticism unless the club or person confirms it.
Complaints, controversies and what has gone wrong
On the complaints side, AskGamblers shows 98 complaints about Mystake with 87 resolved, a CasinoRank of 7.7 out of 10 and a player rating of 9.2 out of 10 from 885 reviews, as of 9 November 2026. That is a good record on that site, and it is the main thing in Mystake's favour. It also means 11 complaints were not marked resolved, and a player rating on a review site does not address the corporate and regulatory concerns below.
Those concerns are serious. The Guardian and Investigate Europe reported that Santeda sites averaged 2.3 million unique monthly UK visitors from November 2025 to January 2026, though the licence does not cover the UK, and that "not on GAMSTOP" affiliate sites promote Mystake to people who have self-excluded. A UK customer of sister brand Goldenbet told reporters she deposited about £29,000 and lost the rest after withdrawal delays. That is one reported account about a different brand, not about Mystake. Labour MP Alex Ballinger said such sites were "deliberately targeting vulnerable people". The operators did not respond.
The SIS contract adds a specific red flag. It barred use of SIS content in the UK, yet The Guardian had earlier found Santeda sites targeting UK customers. SIS said it expects customers to offer its products only where legal and takes corrective action for breaches. Entain said it was not a party to SIS's arrangements and had raised its concerns, and the Guardian's industry sources said the bookmaker shareholders could not have known of the deal.
Finally, the dissolution of Santeda International B.V. and GTW B.V. in spring 2026, and the appointment of a new director described by GAMRS as possibly a front, leave it unclear who a player would hold to account. We found no court finding of fraud against Mystake. Those are reported allegations and company changes, and we say so.
The good and the bad
The good
- 98 AskGamblers complaints with 87 marked resolved, and a 9.2 player rating from 885 reviews (as of 9 November 2026).
- A wide list of accepted coins, including Monero for withdrawals.
- Trading since 2019.
The bad
- A Curaçao licence that does not cover the UK or US, with reports of UK targeting including affiliates aimed at self-excluded players.
- Reported blacklisting in Greece and Sweden and UK regulator requests to Google.
- Operating companies reportedly dissolved in 2026, with no public statement of who runs it now.
- Articles about celebrity and club ties that appear to be fictitious.
- Complaints about withdrawals held after verification and accounts restricted with funds held.
Our verdict. Mystake has a decent record on one complaints site, but the weight of reporting about UK targeting, regulator blacklisting, a changing corporate structure and an apparently invented owner profile counts for more when you are deciding where to put money. The allegations are unproven in court and the operators have not replied, but on the evidence we read we rate it Poor.
A note for UK readers and crypto players
A casino must hold a UK Gambling Commission licence to offer gambling to people in Great Britain, and Mystake does not hold one. The Guardian's reporting is that Santeda's Curaçao licence does not cover the UK, and anyone in Britain using such a site is outside GAMSTOP and UKGC protections. Reports also say Mystake has been promoted by affiliate sites that appear aimed at self-excluded players. If you have self-excluded, that is a red flag, and we do not suggest ways round any block.
Crypto adds its own risks: balances move with the market, transfers are final, and a casino that closes or changes company may leave no route to recover funds. Gambling is for adults only and is not a way to earn money. If it stops being fun, help is available from BeGambleAware.
Sources
- Bitcoin.com News: Casino Secrets leak ties UK bookmakers to offshore Mystake operator
- Investigate Europe: European gambling group linked to unlicensed online casinos in the UK
- The Lines: UK betting giants linked to predatory unlicensed casino network
- AskGamblers: Mystake Casino review
- Protos: Thousands of Curacao crypto casinos see data leaked following hack
- Parameter: Offshore gambling group shuts down Curacao entities days before investigative report
- NEXT.io: MyStake group dissolves legal companies
- Curacao Chronicle: Illegal gambling networks linked to Curacao licences raise consumer protection concerns
FAQs
Is Mystake legit?
It is mixed evidence leaning negative. AskGamblers shows 98 complaints with 87 resolved and a 9.2 player rating as of 9 November 2026, but investigators report UK targeting, blacklisting in Greece and Sweden, and dissolved operating companies. No court has ruled on these allegations. We rate Mystake Poor on the weight of the reporting.
Who owns Mystake?
AskGamblers names Santeda International B.V. of Curaçao as operator, but reports in May 2026 say Santeda International B.V. and GTW B.V. were dissolved. Investigate Europe could not confirm who owns or controls Santeda, and a named owner appeared in articles it called seemingly fictitious. We found no public statement of the current operator.
Is Mystake licensed in the UK?
No. The Guardian reporting relayed by Bitcoin.com News states Santeda's Curaçao licence does not cover the UK or the US, and Mystake holds no UK Gambling Commission licence that we could find. A British player would be outside GAMSTOP and UKGC protections. We do not suggest ways round country blocks.
Does Mystake delay withdrawals?
Some players report it. Among Mystake's 98 AskGamblers complaints, payment issues are the largest group at 66, including withdrawals held pending an investigation after verification. AskGamblers marks 87 complaints resolved. Other players do not report problems, so treat this as a pattern worth checking, not proof of non-payment.
What is the Casino Secrets leak and how does it involve Mystake?
Casino Secrets is the release of documents from Curaçao's gambling regulator after a September 2026 hack. The Guardian used it to report a 2022 revenue-share contract between SIS and Santeda, whose brands include Mystake, that barred SIS content in the UK. The leak itself does not accuse Mystake of a crime.
Is there a Mystake promo code?
We do not list or recommend promo codes for any casino. Welcome offers carry wagering requirements that decide what you can withdraw, and Mystake's current terms were not readable to us because the site returned a region-restricted page. Read the terms in full before depositing, and only gamble money you can afford to lose.
18+ only. Gambling can be addictive; set limits and never chase losses. Free, confidential support: BeGambleAware.
