Illegal online gambling with a turnover of over UAH 5 billion: The ESBU has exposed the activities of an organized group

 Detectives of the Main Detective Unit of the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine have exposed an organized group that operated a network of illegal online casinos and laundered the proceeds. The volume of illegally obtained funds exceeds UAH 5 billion.

The investigation established that the organized group consisted of 10 individuals: two citizens of the Russian Federation and eight citizens of Ukraine. Each played a specific role—ranging from technical support to controlling financial flows.

The suspects created and administered a network of web resources through which users gained access to online casinos without the appropriate license. To ensure stable operations, they engaged controlled IT companies that provided technical support, uninterrupted website functionality, and updates.

At the same time, foreign companies were used to mask the activities through which payment processing and service maintenance were formally conducted. This allowed the true organizers to remain hidden and made it difficult for law enforcement agencies to track their activities.

The financial component of the scheme was designed to make monitoring the movement of funds as difficult as possible. Users are paid to participate in gambling using cryptocurrency and stablecoins (USDT). These funds initially flowed into the accounts of a company registered in Estonia, after which they were redistributed among other controlled non-resident enterprises, particularly in the jurisdiction of Curaçao. This multi-layered scheme made it possible to conceal the source of the funds and evade financial monitoring.

Subsequently, the obtained crypto-assets were laundered. They were converted into various currencies, transferred between accounts, and used in financial operations in a way that gave them the appearance of legally obtained income. This allowed the group members to freely dispose of the funds and integrate them into legal circulation.

During the investigation, the full functional cycle of the scheme was documented—from the creation of online resources to the withdrawal and laundering of funds. The total volume of illegal income obtained in cryptocurrency exceeds the equivalent of UAH 5 billion.

Ten members of the organized group have been served with notices of suspicion regarding the organization and operation of gambling games without a license (Part 2, Article 203-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine), as well as the laundering of property obtained through criminal means (Part 3, Article 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

Procedural oversight is carried out by prosecutors of the Office of the Prosecutor General. Operational support is provided by employees of the Department for the Protection of National Statehood of the Security Service of Ukraine.

Note: In accordance with Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of committing a crime and shall not be subjected to criminal punishment until their guilt is proven in a lawful manner and established by a court verdict of guilty.