Published on: April 2, 2026, 11:41h.
Updated on: April 2, 2026, 11:42h.
- Exposed Croatian sponsorship reveals fake executive as academic
- Dragon Z6 linked to obscure offshore gambling and rebranding operations
- Football partnerships exploit illegal betting markets across Asia
Recently, the Croatian national soccer team entered into a sponsorship agreement with Dragon Z6, an Asian-focused bookmaker, sending a representative named “Alexander Smith” to finalize the deal and take pictures alongside the players.
However, this so-called gaming executive is actually not who he claims to be. Open-source investigative organization Bellingcat has revealed that he is a computer science educator and reality TV contestant from Zagreb named Branko Balon.
Employing facial recognition software PimEyes, Bellingcat traced Balon, who is also known for his appearance on the Croatian cooking competition Who Cooks Better for Me? and serves as the president of the Croatian-Chinese Friendship Society. When reached via email, Balon requested clarification on the inquiry but subsequently ceased communication.
Common Practice of Using Stand-Ins
Investigators are increasingly cautious of such contract-signing scenarios involving unregulated Asian-focused betting entities, as the use of fake executives has become a prevalent practice. These events serve to create an illusion of legitimacy while obscuring the actual ownership structure of the company.
For example, in 2019, officials of Leicester City FC celebrated a sponsorship deal with a man who claimed to be Yabo Sports CEO Dean Hawkes, only for it to be revealed that he was merely a male model residing in Shanghai.
A 2023 report by the Asian Racing Foundation highlighted connections between Yabo and forced labor camps along the Cambodia-Laos border, where trafficked individuals are coerced into managing gambling operations and scam call centers.
It’s crucial to note that companies like Yabo and Dragon Z6 aren’t aiming to attract clients in places like Croatia or the UK, the home countries of the teams they partner with. Instead, they utilize soccer as a gateway to penetrate challenging markets, such as China, where advertising gambling remains illegal.
Denial from Van Persie
The findings of Bellingcat suggest that Dragon Z6 doesn’t operate as a standard betting firm. Rather, it forms part of a dynamically changing network of offshore gambling brands that frequently reinvent themselves and conceal their ownership.
The investigation revealed that the company’s public portrayal—boasting a long-standing history and significant operations in Asia—is hard to corroborate, while its marketing approach appears to focus on leveraging high-profile soccer sponsorships to connect with audiences in regions where online gambling restrictions are prevalent.
Dragon Z6 is also seemingly associated with the Hong Kong-based platform KashBet (also known as KB88). Bellingcat discovered that both websites utilized the same promotional image featuring former Arsenal and Manchester United player Robin van Persie, albeit with variations in logo design to suit their branding. Van Persie’s representative stated that no contracts exist with either entity and hinted at potential legal proceedings.