Several Dutch footballers placed bets through a website which Dutch prosecutors allege was controlled by criminals, reports De Telegraaf. The newspaper reports that the EdoBet.com website, which is no longer live, was set up by Freddy S., the son of suspected international drug trafficker Piet S. 

It is understood that Former football stars Dirk Kuijt and Wesley Sneijder, who work as presenters for RTL7, have been interviewed by police. Kuijt has admitted placing bets through the site after the end of his football career, but Sneijder denies ever using EdoBet.com. 

Investigations by The Sports Integrity Initiative have discovered that EdoBet.com was operating for at least a year; was licensed by Curaçao eGaming; and owned by FA Services Ltd. ‘CEG is the official trademark of Cyberluck Curaçao N.V. (chamber of commerce registration 72819), holding a Curaçao government issued master license under reference 1668/JAZ’, reads the Curaçao eGaming website.

Curaçao eGaming is understood to be one of four companies holding a Master Licence issued by the Curaçao Minister of Justice, which allows it to issue sub-licenses. Applicants must pay €4,500; have a ‘business plan’ ready; and must take part in a compliance interview. If all the terms are met, licenses can be issued in less than a week.

It is understood that Dutch police have also interviewed other footballers in connection with EdoBet, which they suspect was used by criminals for money laundering purposes. It is reported that Piet S., understood to be 65, was arrested and questioned in September 2020 during an investigation into international drug trafficking.