What exactly does it take to turn a small startup into a global player in the most competitive business niche on the market? Vision, guts, and a whole lot of patience. Soft2Bet didn’t start with a massive budget or a primed audience. It began from an idea and a founder who knew what he wanted and spotted opportunities where others saw roadblocks. He is Uri Poliavich, a sharp-minded entrepreneur with a bold vision for building something entirely out of the box and using iGaming profits for good. Today, Soft2Bet is one of the most prominent players in the iGaming market, and today we’re going to explore how Uri Poliavich took Soft2Bet from a startup to the top of the list of online gambling companies.
Story Behind a Visionary
Uri was born in Soviet Ukraine in 1981. Having a very modest start to his life, Uri explains: “I remember the feeling of hunger the most. Not just the physical hunger I felt as a kid, but the deep hunger to change my life. I wanted to escape the grayness that surrounded me, to replace it with something bright, meaningful, and full of color and purpose”. At 14, he relocated to Israel, where he completed his education and served in the Israeli army, gaining much-needed leadership experience. In pursuit of higher education, Poliavich graduated from Bar-Ilan University with a law degree and at first pursued his legal career. His business spirit drove him to Central Asia, where he was responsible for multiple operations that led to his ventures in the iGaming sector.
Working in Asia is thought to have sparked his passion for iGaming, culminating in the founding of Soft2Bet in 2016. Upon launching, Soft2Bet was just a small startup run from tiny offices in Malta. Today, Soft2Bet boasts 19 international licences in 12 countries, including, but not limited to, Ontario (Canada), Denmark, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Mexico, Romania, Spain, and Sweden. The company’s highly specced out headquarters are located in the iGaming capital Malta and research and development offices are in Cyprus.
In addition to such explosive growth, Soft2Bet also developed a proprietary gamification platform, MEGA (Motivational Engineering Gaming Application), that was awarded “Product Launch of the Year” at Global Gaming Awards EMEA in 2025. On the first day of ICE Barcelona, Uri was also awarded “Executive of the Year” and is listed among the top 50 most influential Jews globally.
Soft2Bet: Success and Giving Back
Soft2Bet offers a portfolio of over 12,500 games from hundreds of providers and sports betting for over 60 different sports. More than 1 million live events are held annually and in over 20 languages. Soft2Bet’s success is evident in the launch of its popular brands like Betinia, Yoyocasino, Campobet, Quickcasino, and Don.ro. Each one of the brands is tailored explicitly for markets such as Denmark, Sweden, Mexico, and Romania. For operators just entering the iGaming market, Soft2Bet’s turnkey solutions provide a fully built package to kickstart their operations.
In 2024, Soft2Bet decided it was time to do more than lead the iGaming industry — it was time to fuel it. That’s when they rolled out Soft2Bet Invest, a €52 million fund with a clear mission:
- To offer funding between €500,000 and €1 million per project.
- To help ambitious startups and scale-ups in the iGaming or casual gaming space.
- To look for projects with innovative tech, such as AI-powered tools, user experience analytics, or scalable gaming platforms.
- To support founders who are building the next generation of gaming technology.
- To give a chance to grow with one of the most forward-thinking companies in iGaming.
This way, Soft2Bet supports those who want to enter the industry and drive further in the next wave of advancements.
With such an inspiring beginning and making bold moves in tech, design, and investment, Soft2Bet under Uri’s leadership isn’t slowing down anytime soon. So if you’re watching Soft2Bet’s next moves, don’t blink – the next chapter is already written and will be worth reading
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