The State Bureau of Investigations has detained the director of the online casino "PIN-UP," which is suspected of laundering Russian money.
According to a statement on the DBR website, Bureau employees apprehended the director of the company operating in Ukraine under the "PIN-UP" online casino brand.
"During the investigation, it was established that the real owners of this commercial entity, which obtained a license to conduct online gambling activities, are citizens of the Russian Federation," the DBR stated.
Consequently, the detained individual has been informed of the suspicion of aiding a state aggressor. A motion is being prepared to request a preventive measure in the form of detention.
The pre-trial investigation is ongoing. The involvement of other subjects under investigation by the Bureau is being documented, and their identities are being established.
The DBR reminded that in the course of the investigation into the activities of this online casino, Bureau staff and prosecutors from the Office of the General Prosecutor, in collaboration with the State Financial Monitoring Service of Ukraine, uncovered evidence of complicity by representatives of this company with the state aggressor.
"In particular, documented connections between the online casino and representatives of the Russian Federation, sanctioned entities in Ukraine, have been confirmed, as well as financial flows aimed at filling the aggressor's budget and supporting activities related to armed aggression against Ukraine," the statement reads.
A comprehensive set of procedural measures, including technical ones, was carried out with the involvement of relevant experts, who confirmed "negative consequences for the combat readiness of the Ukrainian Defense Forces due to the use of services from this online casino."
Additionally, it was established that individuals associated with the online casino are conducting their business activities in the territory of the so-called "LPR," thus filling the enemy's budget.
"Moreover, the individual directly controlling the online casino's activities was financing veterans of the so-called 'SVO' after the onset of the full-scale invasion," the Bureau emphasized.
The online casino itself, as the Bureau discovered during the pre-trial investigation, "continues its operations on the territory of Russia and Russian web resources."
The DBR added that preliminarily, based on the collected evidence, suspicions were communicated to the chairperson and a member of the Commission for the Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries regarding their complicity with the state aggressor and illegal production, manufacture, acquisition, storage, transportation, or shipment of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, or their analogs without the intent to sell, as well as for aiding the state aggressor.
Suspicion has also been communicated to the actual beneficial owners of the online casino, the nominal owner, and individuals connected with its activities, including the owner of the trademark and domain name. Some of them are currently wanted. In January, the DBR detained the nominal owner of the "PIN-UP" online casino.
Earlier, the court granted the DBR and the Office of the General Prosecutor's request to transfer over 2.6 billion UAH, seized from the accounts of this online casino linked to representatives of the state aggressor, to the management of the Asset Recovery and Management Agency.
It is also noted that by the resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated November 5, No. 1088-r, the purchase of domestic government bonds "Military Bonds" in the amount of 2 billion UAH was agreed upon, which are already working to support our defense capabilities and economy.
Other news related to online casinos in Ukraine
As reported by UNIAN, earlier the head of KRAIL Ivan Rudoy was detained, who is suspected of facilitating the activities of Russian online casinos in Ukraine. The court has chosen a preventive measure in the form of detention without the right to bail.
Subsequently, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky signed a law that provides for the liquidation of KRAIL. Now, instead of KRAIL, a new authorized body without collegial status must be established by April 1.