1xBet & Sportradar Deny Google Takedown Campaign
1xBet and Sportradar have both denied any involvement in a string of Google copyright takedown notices that targeted news coverage of their business relationship, after an investigation by research outlet Activ8 Insights traced a pattern of complaints filed under the name Alex Gramm.
In a report titled Betting on Takedown, published August 20, 2026, Activ8 Insights said a copyright notice filed in Muddy Waters Research's name asked Google to remove 18 web pages covering short-seller reports on Sportradar, including one of its own. Muddy Waters told the outlet, on the record, that it did not file the notice.
The same sender name has appeared on at least 12 takedown notices dating back to 2013, Activ8 said, with 10 of them serving the interests of 1xBet by policing its brand or targeting journalism about the operator. One notice from October 2025 identified its filer as "Alex Gramm on behalf of 1xBet."
Both Companies Deny Involvement
1xBet strategic adviser Simon Westbury told iGaming Business: "Activ8Insights is clear about the limits of what it can establish and does not allege that 1xBet was responsible for the activity described. 1xBet can confirm that it had no involvement in or knowledge of that notice. We have no further comment."
A Sportradar spokesperson said the company "did not file or commission the notice in question and has never sought the removal of such press coverage from search results," adding that Sportradar "has no relationship with, or knowledge of, anyone filing copyright takedown notices under the name Alex Gramm."
Activ8 Insights itself was careful to note the limits of its findings: "We have no evidence that 1xBet, or Sportradar, filed, commissioned, or knew about this notice, and we do not allege it. What we can document is what the filings did."
Part Of A Wider Sportradar Dispute
The takedown findings surface against the backdrop of a separate row over Sportradar's customer base. Short sellers Callisto Research and Muddy Waters both published reports on April 22, 2026 alleging that a significant share of Sportradar's revenue was tied to unlicensed gambling operators, claims that sent Sportradar's shares down by roughly a fifth that day.
Sportradar, who provide sports data services for sports betting sites, has rejected the allegations, saying in an April 28, 2026 filing that its contracts require clients to hold necessary licences and that its compliance checks include licence verification, ownership checks, sanctions screening and ongoing audits.
An investor lawsuit, Smale v. Sportradar Group AG, was filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York on May 18, 2026, alleging securities law violations tied to the same allegations.
