In the iGaming industry, attention is the most valuable currency. Platforms rise or fall based on how long users stay, how often they return, and how seamlessly technology adapts to behavior. Few founders understand this dynamic as precisely as Uri Poliavich, whose work at Soft2Bet shows how engagement systems built for entertainment can be engineered to deliver long-term commercial and social value.
Rather than treating growth and impact as separate goals, Poliavich designed Soft2Bet around a single principle. Systems that retain users at scale can also sustain real-world change.
Who Is Uri Poliavich and How His Background Shaped Soft2Bet
Uri Poliavich’s approach to building companies is rooted in early experiences where efficiency was not optional. Growing up in Soviet Ukraine during the 1980s meant scarcity, rigid systems, and little room for error. Every decision mattered.
After relocating to Israel, Poliavich gained access to stronger educational and professional pathways. Military service reinforced discipline under pressure, while a law degree from Bar-Ilan University sharpened his understanding of regulation and strategic negotiation. His later work at Playtech exposed him to regulated gaming markets across Europe and Central Asia, where compliance and cultural nuance shaped every operational choice.
Why Uri Poliavich Built Soft2Bet for Regulated Markets
When Soft2Bet launched in 2016, Poliavich avoided quick wins in loosely regulated regions. Instead, he entered jurisdictions with strict licensing requirements, long approval timelines, and constant oversight. The approach slowed early expansion but produced durable infrastructure.
Today, Soft2Bet operates under 19 licenses across 10 jurisdictions, offering more than 12,500 games from over 100 providers alongside a sportsbook covering 60 sports and approximately 1.2 million annual events. Because compliance was built into the platform from day one, entering new regulated markets now requires minimal adaptation.
In this model, regulation is not a constraint. It is an accelerator.
MEGA: The Engagement Engine Behind Soft2Bet’s Scale
At the center of Soft2Bet’s performance sits MEGA, the Motivational Engineering Gaming Application. Rather than relying on constant content expansion, MEGA reshapes how players experience progress.
The system tracks live behavior and adjusts the platform in real time. Competitive players encounter leaderboards and direct challenges. Exploratory users unlock discovery-based tasks and hidden rewards. Every interaction feeds visible progress markers that keep momentum intact.
The results are sustained, not seasonal:
- Player screen time increased fourfold
- Net Gaming Revenue rose by 65 percent
- Average deposit amounts grew by 50 percent
- Deposit frequency increased by 30 percent
These outcomes are held across multiple markets because MEGA continuously adapts to each user’s interaction history. Engagement is treated as an evolving system rather than a fixed feature.
Turning Platform Growth Into Measurable Impact
Extended engagement naturally increases revenue. What sets Poliavich apart is where that surplus goes.
In 2020, Uri and Yael Poliavich founded the Yael Foundation, focused on education and cultural preservation. The foundation now supports more than 13,500 children in 37 countries through schools, teacher training programs, and heritage initiatives. Funding scales directly with business performance, ensuring stability rather than dependency on one-time donations.
The Soft2Bet Foundation expands this model to environmental restoration, animal welfare, and essential community services. Each program is structured with measurable outcomes and long-term accountability, mirroring the company’s internal operating standards.
This closed loop of engagement, revenue, and reinvestment turns platform success into sustained global resources.
Investing Beyond iGaming with Soft2Bet Invest
In 2024, Poliavich extended this strategy through Soft2Bet Invest, a €50 million fund targeting technologies with both commercial strength and cross-industry relevance. Areas of focus include adaptive AI, accessibility-first design frameworks, and engagement algorithms.
These tools can power casino platforms, but they can also personalize education, simplify healthcare interfaces, and increase civic participation. By investing beyond iGaming’s borders, Soft2Bet reduces dependency on a single market while amplifying broader impact.
Uri Poliavich’s Founder Playbook
Poliavich’s approach offers clear lessons for founders operating in competitive, regulated industries:
- Anchor decisions in a mission that can be measured
- Enter the most complex markets early to build durable systems
- Identify and prioritize the feature that drives repeat engagement
- Integrate compliance into product design
- Tie revenue growth directly to scalable impact
Building Systems That Outlast Markets
Soft2Bet’s success is not built on trend chasing or surface-level innovation. It is the product of systems designed to perform under pressure, adapt continuously, and fund outcomes beyond quarterly results.
Uri Poliavich demonstrates that when engagement is engineered with intent, platforms can scale profitably while creating structures that endure across markets, industries, and generations.