MelBet & AffPapa: Awards & Sponsorship Beside Official Blocking Lists

AffPapa promotes MelBet through a sponsor page, a directory listing & its 2026 Casino Operator of the Year page. Lithuania records a 2019 court decision for melbet.com; Sri Lanka announced a block in August 2026. The historical Lithuanian company name & current Curaçao certificate name differ. AffPapa & MelBet did not answer the questions sent.

Evidence cut-off: 2 September 2026.

Correction — 5 September 2026: Corrected the Lithuanian court date from 28 to 27 August 2019, identified the historical Pelican Entertainment Ltd attribution separately from the current B.V. certificate, & updated the Sri Lankan source’s availability.

What AffPapa published or retained

AffPapa’s website carried an iGaming Club sponsor article, its 2026 Casino Operator of the Year page, a directory listing & other MelBet promotional articles.

What the authority did

Lithuania: the official list names Pelican Entertainment Ltd for melbet.com beside a Vilnius Regional Administrative Court decision dated 27 August 2019 (case eI-4922-463/2019). Sri Lanka: the Ministry of Digital Economy announced that melbet.com was among unauthorised gambling websites blocked with immediate effect. Curaçao: the current CGA certificate identifies Pelican Entertainment B.V., company number 134359, as operator of melbet.com under active licence OGL/2024/561/0554. The Lithuanian list uses “Pelican Entertainment Ltd”; the current certificate uses “Pelican Entertainment B.V.” The cited sources do not establish the legal continuity between those names or justify transferring the historical attribution without further records.

Chronology

1. 27 August 2019: Lithuania’s official list records the Vilnius court decision for melbet.com, attributed to Pelican Entertainment Ltd.
2. 2020: AffPapa described its relationship with MelBet Affiliates as long-term.
3. 19 January 2026: AffPapa announced MelBet Partners as an iGaming Club Barcelona sponsor.
4. May 2026: AffPapa named MelBet Casino Operator of the Year.
5. 6 August 2026: Sri Lanka announced immediate blocking of melbet.com.
6. 24 August 2026: Lithuania refreshed its official illegal-online-gambling-operator list page.
7. 2 September 2026: AffPapa’s sponsor, award & directory material remained live; the CGA certificate for Pelican Entertainment B.V. remained active.

The question this case raises

Which entity & target markets did AffPapa assess? Lithuania’s Pelican Entertainment Ltd attribution must not automatically be equated with the current Curaçao B.V. certificate.

Reply record

InfoBets’ record says AffPapa & the relevant brand were invited to reply by 20 August 2026, 17:00 CEST; none was received by the 2 September cut-off. Silence is not an admission.

Wider investigation: Levon Nikoghosyan & AffPapa’s verification claims · How the evidence was assessed. Send documentary corrections to contact@infobets.com.