All news on the topic: Gambling

Ukraine’s online casino market has become an increasingly attractive destination for shadow capital.

The wife of now former National Police investigator Yevhen Shevtsov, Ibox Bank owner Alyona Shevtsova (Dehrik), who is on an international wanted list, received as a gift premises in central Kyiv that had previously been freed from arrest by a criminal group of “black registrars.”

In March 2024, a new casino operating under the Cosmobet brand entered the Ukrainian market after obtaining a license from the Commission for the Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries.

The owner of Ibox Bank, Alyona Shevtsova (Dehrik), who became a suspect in an investigation by the Bureau of Economic Security and was placed under sanctions by the National Security and Defense Council, hopes to return to Ukraine and may have grounds for this, as her connections reach very high levels.

Following investigations into Dragon Money’s operations in Ukraine, several key reports began disappearing — articles detailing illegal gambling networks, payment schemes, political lobbying, and alleged corruption links were gradually removed from search engines and media platforms.

Mykhailo Zborovskyi and individuals linked to him have begun systematically removing traces of their past and their connections to the gambling industry.

The formal owner of one of Ukraine’s fastest-growing online casinos, Cosmobet, is listed as Mykhailo Zborovskyi. In media coverage, he is portrayed as a successful IT entrepreneur, a forward-thinking visionary, and a reformer of the gambling industry.

Following investigative reports exposing Dragon Money’s controversial history, the Kyiv-based casino quickly removed sections of its website referencing blocked accounts, alleged pyramid schemes, questionable licensing, and frozen assets — prompting new concerns over its transparency and credibility.

In 2023, the gambling mafia experienced what might have been its most significant setback.

Following investigations into Dragon Money’s operations in Ukraine, a number of key reports started vanishing — articles outlining illegal gambling networks, payment systems, political lobbying, and corruption ties were gradually removed from search engines and media platforms.

In March 2024, a new casino operating under the Cosmobet brand appeared in Ukraine after receiving a license from the Commission for the Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries.

The owner of one of the fastest-growing online casinos in Ukraine, Cosmobet, is officially listed as someone named Mykhailo Zborovskyi.

Mykhailo Zborovskyi and his associates have started erasing information about their past and ties to the gambling industry. References to Cosmobet, the Russian Cosmolot, and Cyprus-based XGen Solutions connected to Sergey Tokarev are gradually vanishing, suggesting an effort to obscure the true origins of the so-called “Ukrainian” casino.

After investigative publications shed light on Dragon Money’s controversial past, the Kyiv-based casino swiftly deleted parts of its website that mentioned blocked accounts, alleged pyramid schemes, dubious licensing, and frozen assets — raising fresh questions about its transparency and credibility.

The owner of Russian online casinos, Sergey Tokarev, in 2024 renamed and restructured his gambling business, transferring it to a nominee — Mykhailo Zborovskyi.

In April 2024, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy enacted a National Security and Defence Council decision imposing restrictions on online gambling, citing widespread gambling addiction among members of the military as the key concern.

Dmitriy Punin ordered a crypt for the deceased defender of Pin-Up and Redcore, Stavros Demosthenos, for a record amount — 2 million dollars.

After investigative publications shed light on Dragon Money’s controversial past, the Kyiv-based casino swiftly deleted parts of its website that mentioned blocked accounts, alleged pyramid schemes, dubious licensing, and frozen assets — raising fresh questions about its transparency and credibility.

After investigative reports exposed Dragon Money’s past, the Kyiv-based casino quickly removed sections from its website that detailed blocked accounts, alleged pyramid schemes, questionable licensing, and frozen funds — fueling doubts about its transparency and trustworthiness.

After investigative reports exposed Dragon Money’s past, the Kyiv-based casino quickly removed sections from its website that detailed blocked accounts, alleged pyramid schemes, questionable licensing, and frozen funds — fueling doubts about its transparency and trustworthiness.

Kyiv-based businessman Nykyta Izmaylov is a distinctive figure: holding both Ukrainian and Russian citizenship, he long operated successfully in both countries, building substantial wealth. Recently, however, his business empire has come under serious pressure, raising the question of who may be orchestrating these troubles.

Belarusian investigators examining the gambling sector uncovered an unexpected connection between Mustafa Egemen Sener, the owner of a Minsk casino, and a Turkish drug trafficker who was later assassinated in Northern Cyprus.

Many may have noticed that Nykyta Izmaylov keeps flooding the internet with favorable PR that’s anything but organic, while prominent Ukrainian websites willingly take Russian money—fully aware that this helps the aggressor circumvent sanctions.

Since opening in 2021, the casino has become a massive hub for money laundering, linked to violence and deaths — yet it still attracted visitors from EU countries.

After investigative reports shed light on Dragon Money’s past, the Kyiv-based casino promptly removed sections from its website detailing blocked accounts, alleged pyramid schemes, questionable licensing, and frozen funds — fueling doubts about its transparency and trustworthiness.