Ukraine intensifies crackdown on illegal gambling amid war with Russia

Ukraine is continuing to crack down on illegal gambling, even in the midst of the ongoing war against Russia. Two recent illegal gambling schemes were uncovered by Ukrainian authorities, one in a commercial building and one online.

Both busts signal the seriousness of the Ukrainian government’s attitude toward illegal gambling, even as martial law remains in effect.

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A Kyiv city court convicted three men for running an illegal gambling operation disguised as a regular business, coupled with a fraudulent crypto investment call center. The investigation stems from 2024, as a Kyiv resident and two accomplices were discovered to have established an unlicensed casino.

That casino sat on the ninth floor of a commercial office building. Meanwhile, the call center operated on the fourth floor of the same building.

The call center aimed to trick victims by promoting investments in an automated cryptocurrency trading system that was, in fact, not automated. After taking the victim’s money, the call center workers would then cease communication with the investors.

In the bust, which took place in April 2024, investigators seized more than $135,000 in cash. Both U.S. dollars and euros are visible in photos provided to the media. Poker chips, cards, and a poker table were also seized, so underground poker games were also happening on site.

The offenders received fines of about $20,000 for the illegal gambling. No prison sentence was announced in local media coverage. However, the case appears ongoing. Local media explained that the crypto scam part of the case is still under investigation by national police.

Illegal Online Casino Network Uncovered

Ukrainian authorities also found an illegal online casino network in April that had turnover of close to €100 million. This scheme was allegedly established by two Russian nationals, one of them married to a Ukrainian woman. The scheme operated through an Estonian company and several other offshore structures, including a money-laundering plot.

Along with the two Russian nationals, identified as Oleksiy Ryabov and Roman Belyalov, eight Ukrainians were found to have been a part of the scheme. Each individual had a specific role, from technical support to control of financial flow in the network.

Some of the illegal brands include Joker, Zaza Casino, Pokerdom, and Aurora. Some of them previously operated legally but after their licenses were revoked, the organizers created new sites with the same names in order to continue the illegal business.

Ukraine Restricts Gambling During War

The war with Russia has not stopped Ukraine from focusing on cracking down on illegal gambling within the country. Ukrainian military members are strictly prohibited from accessing gambling while martial law remains in effect.

In March, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry worked to restrict military personnel’s access to gambling apps and services during the ongoing war, which dates to 2014 and escalated in 2022. The system blocks access to the sites but keeps the identity of the military personnel private to avoid having military records on the servers of the gambling sites.

Jeffrey McMillan

Poker Writer

Jeffrey is an Expert Sports and Poker Writer with poker being his specific scope for the better part of five years. He has worked in various capacities at the biggest poker events in the world, WSOP, EPT, local tournaments and more. He has worked with PokerNews, Poker.Org, 888poker and the WSOP itself through the years. Jeff is also a fervent follower of many sports, professional, collegiate and international, with a particular interest in tennis. He received a Master's in Sports Management from the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) and a Bachelors in the same field from Clemson University.