The National Police of Ukraine has raided a live casino studio, arresting 120 people for conducting illegal online gambling.
The report by Next.io suggests that the authorities seized 60 gaming tables, decks of cards, dice, servers, and computer equipment during the raid.
Reportedly, the police said, “Investigative actions are being conducted within the framework of criminal proceedings initiated under Part 2 of Article 364 (Abuse of Power or Official Position) and Part 5 of Article 190 (Fraud) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.”
The statement continued, “The pre-trial investigation is ongoing; law enforcement officers are analyzing data from the seized computer equipment, identifying all persons involved in the illegal activity.”
Further details suggest that the online casino has been operating for four years and has generated $50m in revenue. Ukrainian citizens are the primary customer base, and the casino also targets other European and Asian countries. Cryptocurrency facilitates payments.
Illegal Casino Tied to Russian Influence and Money Laundering
It follows a tumultuous time in the Ukranian gambling sphere. Two weeks ago, the Ukrainian news site UNN reported that a Commission for the Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries member had been detained on suspicion of supporting the activities of an online casino in Ukraine that had been involved in laundering Russian money.
Per reports, the civil servant, along with the previously detained and sanctioned head of the Commission, Ivan Rudyi, failed to take measures to revoke the casino license to conduct online gambling activities despite knowledge of the illegal activity.
A statement to UNN (translated) from the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office said, “As part of the investigation of the commercial structure, the SBU confirmed the online casino’s ties with representatives of Russia and Russian capital, as well as with entities sanctioned in Ukraine. The online casino collected personal information about Ukrainian customers. Thus, the aggressor state had personal data and information about the customers’ location, including military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other military formations.”
UNN reports that the Police served the civil servant with a notice of ‘suspicion of aiding the aggressor state,’ the punishment is currently being contemplated.
Ivan Rudyi was detained on 19 December 2024 without bail for facilitating the activities of the Russian casino Pin Up. The court recommends imprisonment.
The problems date back further, with 1Xbet only being sanctioned in 2023 after President Zelensky and the Bureau of Economic Security intervened.
