Sanctioned Russian businessman Sergey Tokarev linked to Cosmolot 1.2 billion UAH tax evasion and new Cosmobet scheme
The sanctioned owner of Cosmolot, Tokarev, a citizen of the Russian Federation and a figure in a tax evasion case totalling 1.2 billion UAH, continues to profit in Ukraine.
Was it Cosmolot, but now Cosmobet? The owner of the seized casino and tax "evader" Sergey Tokarev, who holds Russian citizenship and has close business ties with the ideologue of the "Russian world," Malofeev, reportedly continues to earn in Ukraine and funnel money through offshore accounts. To bypass sanctions, the businessman may have bought and registered a new gaming company under a proxy.
This was reported by the Telegram channel Insider citing its sources here.
It is noted that instead of the almost destroyed Cosmolot in Ukraine, Tokarev, who holds a Russian passport, created a new online casino, Cosmobet, and continues to earn from Ukrainians, sending money to the Russian Federation through Cypriot offshore accounts. For this purpose, he purchased LLC "Gorillabet" on June 3, registering it under his "proxy" - Andriy Ryndyuh.
What is Tokarev known for?
It should be noted that the accounts of one of the largest gambling operators, Cosmolot, were seized by BES detectives in February of this year. The company was accused of tax evasion totaling 1.2 billion hryvnias.
"According to the investigation, a group of company employees organized unlicensed gambling, using more than 30 mirror sites that have interfaces similar to the licensed site. With the help of mirror sites and payment ’mis-coding’, they set up a scheme to evade taxes in particularly large sizes," the Bureau reported.
According to media, the LLC "Spacex", operating under the Cosmolot brand, is behind the Russian businessman Sergey Tokarev, who a few years ago was accused of financing the pseudo-republics "DPR" and "LPR". In 2016, Tokarev fell under NSDC sanctions, according to which ten restrictions were imposed on him. At that time, law enforcement found that super-profits from the gambling business were being withdrawn to offshore companies and accounts in Russia.
It is also known that after the annexation of Crimea, Tokarev repeatedly flew to the peninsula, despite Ukraine’s direct prohibition. In Russia, the businessman is linked with oligarch Konstantin Malofeev, who is one of the ideologues of the "Russian world". In the aggressor country, Tokarev promoted Russian casinos, assisted by Malofeev.
In 2020, he came out of sanctions and began restoring his reputation. In 2022, Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov in an LB.ua interview reported that the Russian IT businessman and founder of the Roosh investment fund Sergey Tokarev had supposedly been trying to obtain Ukrainian citizenship for nearly two years.
What is known about LLC "Gorillabet"?
According to the information-analytical platform YouControl, LLC "GORILLABET" is registered in August 2023 at a location of mass registration, which may indicate its fictitious nature. Since June of this year, Andriy Rindyuh has been listed as the director and founder, with Kateryna Kleo previously being the beneficiary through JSC "Closed non-diversified venture corporate investment fund ’Symbiosis’".
Rindyuh is also registered as an FOP in the Svyatoshyn district of Kyiv under the NACE code "63.99 Other information service activities".
In August, LLC "GORILLABET" submitted an application to the KRAIL for a license, but the commission left it without consideration.
Journalists also received a letter from LLC "Neurolink", which is not mentioned in this material. At the same time, representatives of the company claim that the organizer of gambling operating under the COSMOBET/ "COSMOBET" brand is exactly LLC "Neurolink". LLC "Spacex" and LLC "GORILLABET", mentioned in the Telegram channel Insider’s publication referenced by StopCor, are independent gambling organizers operating under the brands "Cosmolot" and GORILLA, respectively.
"The company has no relation to either the Cosmolot brand (LLC ’Spacex’) or the company LLC ’Gorillabet’ and their owners, nor to any person like Sergey Tokarev", - noted representatives of LLC "Neurolink".
Technology & Business Editor
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