Leaked documents link Nick van Gorsel to Blaze and large figures in Curaçao

Follow the Money (FTM) links Dutch businessman Nick van Gorsel to the Curaçao structure of betting operator Blaze, in a report published on 14 October 2026. The leaked documents cite declared income of €50 million in 2024 and a declared net worth of about €800 million for Van Gorsel; the files also record corporate figures including hundreds of millions of euros of profit in 2022 and 2023 and nearly €860 million in crypto assets held in the casino’s wallets in 2023.

What the leaked documents say

FTM bases its investigation on files obtained as part of Casino Secrets, the confidential bundle of documents on licence applications to the Curaçao Gaming Authority. According to that source, the names shown behind the Curaçao structure linked to Blaze are Nick van Gorsel and his US partner Nicholas Beugg. Van Gorsel was born in 1996 in Bergen op Zoom.

The values recorded in the official documents include:

• an annual declared income of €50 million for Van Gorsel in 2024;

• a declared approximate net worth of €800 million in 2024;

• corporate profits reported by Blaze of hundreds of millions of euros for 2022 and 2023;

• balances in the casino’s crypto wallets close to €860 million in 2023.

FTM warns these figures come from declarations and licence-application documents and do not amount to independent verification of net worth or proof that those balances represent private wealth of a single owner.

Corporate structure and Curaçao’s role

The file places the company Prolific Trade N.V. as the central Curaçao vehicle for Blaze’s expansion into Brazil. The trust service provider Emoore appears in the documents as administrator and service provider, responsible for corporate management, administration and assistance with licence applications.

That arrangement places service providers between the commercial owners and the entity registered in Curaçao. The investigation emphasises that the public brand and the faces who promote a site do not always match the entity shown in regulatory records.

Legal background and checks

FTM also links Nicholas Beugg to a prior US investigation. A 2017 review reportedly found almost $600,000 in cash, according to the publication; the case was closed in 2020 and, FTM says, the money was returned. Journalists note that the Curaçao Gaming Authority licence file alleged a possible identity confusion, but investigators say it was the same person based on public records and court documents.

The Curaçao Gaming Authority declined to comment on the specific file because of its confidentiality obligations and highlighted the existence of a transition period to a stricter licensing system.

Claims, lawsuits and the Brazilian context

FTM recorded more than 43,000 complaints logged in October on the Reclame Aqui platform concerning Blaze, many related to balances and pending payments. Those figures indicate user dissatisfaction but are not themselves court judgments or legal proof.

According to the report, the Brazilian Public Prosecutor’s Office demanded in July a remediation of approximately 380 million reais, equivalent to about €65 million using FTM’s conversion. The same report mentions a separate claim of around €20 million against Blaze and influencer Virginia Fonseca; allegations include advertising during the World Cup and targeting minors. FTM makes clear these are amounts sought by the prosecutor and not final judgments.

The Brazilian government approved measure 1.394/2026 on 25 September 2026, which prohibits the exploitation, offering, intermediation and advertising of fixed-odds bets (bets), including sports betting and online casino games when directed at residents of Brazil. The rule provides for a transition phase for winding down operations and returning player balances; the official timetable indicated that from 6 October websites and apps should begin to be inaccessible and that no new funds could be deposited. More information on the regulatory framework and its implementation appears in the Ministry's official note and in analysis of regulation.

Influencers, visibility and responsibilities

Blaze built visibility in Brazil using public figures such as Neymar, Felipe Neto and Jon Vlogs. FTM points out that the presence of an influencer or athlete in campaigns does not prove ownership or direct responsibility for platform management. In the documents reviewed, the public name Jon Vlogs does not appear as a beneficial owner.

FTM also records that Blaze denied previous malpractice allegations. Asked about the new report, a company spokesperson refused to comment on corporate structures, ownership rights or personal data. Emoore invoked confidentiality and, according to FTM, Van Gorsel replied: “Wij beantwoorden geen vragen.”

What remains unresolved

The dossier combines declared data from licence processes, user complaints, amounts sought by the Brazilian prosecutor and legal histories of linked individuals. The figures recorded in licence applications, the wallet balances and the amounts claimed by authorities are facts noted in the leaked papers; FTM’s publication does not present a public verification that turns those declarations into judgments or independent audits.

For readers in Belgium the piece underlines the difference between a well-known brand, a foreign licence and legal authorisation to operate locally: a licence issued in Curaçao does not equate to permission to offer gaming in Belgian territory. The Gambling Club article on blacklist and local control provides additional context on how to distinguish authorised operators from sites acting without permission and is available as further reading in [news](/news).