Ukraine’s SBU blocks large online casino operated by Russians and Ukrainians
The SBU has blocked an online casino linked to the Russian Federation (Photo:СБУ via Twitter)
Ukraine’s SBU security service has blocked the operation of an illegal online casino that transferred about UAH 3 billion ($82 million) to Russia, the agency reported on Nov. 18.
According to the SBU, the criminal organization behind the gambling site included both citizens of Ukraine and Russia. Funds were transferred to Russia in cryptocurrency.
“The perpetrators had a hierarchical management vertical headed by Russians,” the report says.
The SBU noted that Ukrainian citizens in the criminal group were responsible for searching for offices and service personnel, as well as advertising support, arranging computer equipment, and authorizing clients of the virtual casino. They also monitored payments and set up the infrastructure necessary for online gambling.
The security service blocked the relevant web resources and made it impossible for criminals to access payment systems.
At the same time, the SBU did not specify which online casino it was referring to.
KRAIL, Ukraine’s national gambling and lotteries regulator, announced in early September that Russian bookmaker 1xBet had lost its license to work in Ukraine.
Bookmaker 1xBet was granted a license to operate in Ukraine in April 2022, after Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine.
After that, a petition demanding to ban its work in Ukraine appeared on the Ukrainian presidential website. It gained the necessary 25,000 signatures in a week.
It was reported in late September that the Russian bookmaker 1xBet was trying to cancel the decision of KRAIL to revoke the company’s licenses to operate in Ukraine through the courts.
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